Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday joined a drive in Indore that aims to create a world record of planting 11 lakh saplings in a single day and asserted that the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an apt reply to challenges of climate change.
The ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign was launched by Modi on June 5 to mark World Environment Day, under which some 140 crore trees will be planted across the country, including 5.5 crore in Madhya Pradesh, which Shah described as “lungs of Bharat”.
“Development is taking place and we are enhancing facilities. Modiji has asked us to reflect on the past and also work for the coming generation. The concern for the environment has become important not just for the country. Carbon dioxide and monoxide have reduced the level of ozone and created holes in its layer,” Shah said.
“This has caused a rise in temperatures. Climate change is being experienced. The drive launched by Modiji is a suitable reply to this,” he asserted, adding that Indore, the country’s cleanest city for several years as per the Swachh Survekshan, will see 51 lakh saplings being planted.
Shah said no one had imagined that PM Modi’s appeal for tree plantation would become a movement and all would want to plant saplings in the name of their mothers.
He said Indore is known for its cleanliness, taste, good governance and helping nature of its residents, and it will be known as a green city after the plantation record.
Stressing that no programme can succeed due to the government alone, Shah said he was told by state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya that they had sought the help of all sections of society to make this drive a success.
Various sections of society have been roped in and separate forest segments dedicated to their respective icons were created, he said.
Shah said three ponds were also created for watering these saplings.
“I always term Madhya Pradesh the lungs of Bharat for providing oxygen to the entire country,” he said.
Shah said 31 per cent of MP’s total area, which is 12 per cent of India, has forest cover.
Only a few states have such a vast forest cover, he said.
He said MP’s green tracts have boosted tourism in the state, which has six tiger reserves, 11 national parks, and 24 sanctuaries. Now, cheetahs have also been added to Kuno National Park under the reintroduction programme.
The Union minister said PM Modi took many initiatives like the global biofuel alliance for environment protection during the G20 summit, following which the UN decided to confer him with the ‘Champion of Earth’ award.
He said Modi proposed the green credit programme at COP 28 (a UN climate change conference) besides taking several initiatives at the national level.
Shah said that the Centre has taken several measures, including giving its nod to 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol and diesel and this work will be completed by 2025.
He said Gujarat was the first state in the country that started an environment department when Modi was its chief minister.
Shah said the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) started a programme to plant 5 crore saplings in the country by May 2024 but finished the work a year back.
The CAPF has planted 5.21 crore saplings and will plant one crore more saplings this year.
Shah thanked the people of MP for ensuring the BJP’s victory on all 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state in recent general elections.
“Modi ji has become the prime minister for the third time. We all know that the country will become safe and number one in every field in the entire world,” he said.
He urged the people to take care of the saplings being planted like sons.
“These plants will take care of you like a mother,” he said.
In a post on X in the morning, Shah said, “Today is a special day when the people of Indore are going to create a world record by planting 11 lakh saplings.” As part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign started by the PM, Shah added that he too would plant saplings at the BSF campus in Revati Range here.
Protection of the environment has been one of the biggest priorities of the Modi government, which has made tree plantation a matter of public awareness, Shah said.
Since Saturday evening, pits were dug up at the Border Security Force (BSF) Academy’s Revati Range and planting of saplings started in the morning after state minister Vijayvargiya performed ‘bhoomi pujan’, an official said.
Seven lakhs of the 11 lakh saplings had been planted by afternoon, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on July 6 launched ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ in the state, under which 5.5 crore saplings will be planted, including 51 lakh in Indore.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
