Plantation drive at freedom struggle spots on August 15

Lucknow: As part of its drive to increase green cover, Uttar Pradesh government will undertake plantation of five crore saplings on August 15.
The saplings will be planted at sites associated with freedom fighters and the freedom struggle.
Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change Arun Kumar Saxena said the plantation drive on August 15 should bear a connection with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
UP has set a plantation target of 35 crore saplings for 2023. Out of this, 30.2 crore saplings were planted on July 22, while remaining five crore saplings will be planted on August 15. The minister said that 75 saplings would be planted at each of the significant religious sites as well on August 15.
Each plantation site will be geotagged, said the minister while seeking data of number of saplings, species-wise, that were distributed to school children for plantation on July 22 under Bal Paudh Bhandara programme.
Free saplings of fruit-bearing species were distributed to students of class 6 to class 8 for plantation on vacant land in school or at their homes.
He also sought to know the number of species of trees planted at each of the plantation sites on July 22 from the forest department.
Last year, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign, the state had planted 75 saplings in each of the gram panchayats.