Celebration of 75 to make state greener, richer in water

Lucknow: The year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav will not only see celebrations leading to Independence Day but also activities to protect the environment.
To begin with, every village will see plantation of 75 saplings each. Of these, 15 will be sown in religious or holy places.
The plants include drumsticks, which are to be planted due to their medicinal properties. Other plantation will be based on the agro-climate zones, such as plants which give shade, emit oxygen and bear fruit.
People are also expected to join this tree plantation drive, taking care of them as if their own. Local public representatives will also be included.
With this initiative of the Yogi government, 75 lakh saplings will be planted in about 10 lakh villages of the state. Apart from this, over six months, 25 nagar vans/vatika are to be established in 13 districts, afforestation will be done on 6,759 hectares at 503 places on the banks of Ganga and food forests will be developed in 15 districts.
Similarly, to save water, 75 new ponds called Amrit Sarovar will be dug in all 75 districts. This will include revitalization of old ponds too. This will lead to a total of 5,625 ponds in the state, leading to water conservation. Every pond will be named after a local freedom fighter.
This is an extension of the Khet-Talab Yojana of the first term of the Yogi government in 2017 aimed at ending drought in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions. So far, about 5,000 ponds have been dug.
Another initiative is rejuvenation of rivers. About two dozen endangered rivers have been revived so far. Some ponds along the banks of rivers also provide relief from floods and droughts.
Recently, at a meeting with senior officials on April 12, chief minister Yogi had given instructions regarding Amrit Sarovar. These ponds will not only maintain the level of underground water but also generate employment opportunities.