6.63 crore saplings planted in a day during statewide plantation drive in Madhya Pradesh

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: More than 6 crore 63 lakhs (66.3 million) saplings were planted in 24 districts of Narmada basin in one single day.

These saplings were planted in one lakh17 thousand and 293 plantation spots.

It was part of a huge statewide drive launched by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

After the Narmada Sewa Yatra, which aimed at preserving the river which is considered lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan had announced that the plantation drive would be launched. On July 2, 66 million saplings were planted in the State.

It may be noted here that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took out the Narmada Seva Yatra rally in 16 districts of Madhya Pradesh on the Narmada banks from December 11, 2016 to May 15, 2017 to make people aware towards bio-diversity conservation in Narmada basin area, to maintain the incessant flow of the river and to keep the lifeline of the state –the Narmada pollution-free.

Narmada river’s flow remains incessant due to the drops of rainwater absorbed by trees in the jungles of Vindhyachal and Satpuda mountain range flowing down. Keeping this in mind, plantations will be carried out in a large scale on the Narmada Basin situated on the banks of the Narmada river during the Yatra.

Meanwhile, Opposition has said that it was a campaign that was just aimed at publicity and such saplings have been planted which would not help in conservation of Narmada. They say that it was just aimed at creating hype and the saplings would not survive more than six months.

More than 500 political leaders, religious leaders, UN and UNICEF representatives, Literature, Art- Culture and personalities from different sections of the society and experts working in the field of water conservation took part in the Yatra. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took part in the completion programme held at Amarkantak on May 15.

The work plan of Narmada Seva Mission of the state government was also released during the programme. Among the chief species planted during the massive tree plantation campaign sagoun saplings were planted in 20 per cent area, bamboo in 15 per cent area, medicinal plants like Amla, Arjun, Bel, Neem Harra, Baheda etc.

On 20 pc area, fruit-bearing plants like Jamun, Guava, Sitaphal, Lemon, Mango, Pomegranate, Shahtut etc in 5 per cent area, other small vanopaj species like Mahua, Tamarind, Achar, Kullu, Kusum in 5 per cent area and Saja, Siras, Surajna, Jackfruit, Pipal, Bargad, Katamb etc in 35 per cent area.

The massive tree plantation campaign was launched mainly in 24 districts of Narmada basin in Madhya Pradesh region. These include Dindori, Mandla, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Hoshangabad, Raisen, Sehore, Harda, Dewas, Khandwa, Khargone, Dhar, Badwani, Alirajpur, Anuppur, Balaghat, Katni, Damoh, Sagar, Seoni, Chhindwada, Betul, Indore and Burhanpur.

The plantation was carried out in forest areas, schools, colleges, government office premises, other community land and private land. Online registration was arranged to take part in the plantation programme. Apart from registered institutions and people, other institutions and people also took active part in the plantation.