The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare organized a nationwide tree plantation drive on Hariyali Amavasya, resulting in the planting of over 50,000 saplings across 31 states. The event was led by Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan in collaboration with the Vriksh Mitra Parivar organization and drew momentum from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative.
The main program was held at PBG Ground, Central Ridge near Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, with participation from ministers, Members of Parliament, government officials, farmers, youth, and citizens. Similar drives were organized simultaneously across villages, towns, panchayats, and institutions throughout the country. Vriksh Mitra Parivar members played a key role in mobilizing citizens to plant at least one tree each.
Union Minister Chouhan emphasized that Hariyali Amavasya represents both a religious occasion and an opportunity to express gratitude toward nature, noting the interconnectedness of humans, animals, birds, rivers, mountains, and trees in Indian traditions. He stressed that planting trees constitutes an investment in future generations' welfare and called for a commitment to protect and regularly care for planted saplings. Chouhan urged every citizen to plant at least one tree annually and encourage five others to join the campaign, suggesting that personal milestones like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, children's births, and parents' death anniversaries be observed as 'Vriksh Parv' through tree planting.
The Minister called upon panchayats, urban local bodies, and institutions to identify designated plantation areas to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of saplings. He highlighted the direct link between environmental sustainability and agriculture, noting that environmental degradation affects farming, water availability, soil health, and human well-being. Chouhan emphasized that for farmers, water access and soil health maintenance are as crucial as seed and fertilizer availability, advocating for greater adoption of Mission LiFE, energy conservation, and reduced plastic dependence.
Delhi Cabinet Minister Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that the Delhi Government had learned valuable lessons from Chouhan's initiative, with over 100,000 Delhi residents connected to the campaign. Schools, colleges, and other institutions are being encouraged to participate in plantation activities, with citizens increasingly taking collective pledges for environmental protection. Delhi Cabinet Minister Shri Parvesh Verma emphasized that development and environmental conservation must proceed together, requiring balance between infrastructure expansion and green cover preservation.
The event was attended by Member of Parliament Shri Darshan Singh Choudhary, representatives from various institutions, officials from agricultural universities, personnel from ICAR, DARE and KVKs, and numerous Vriksh Mitra Parivar members. The campaign positioned itself as both a tree plantation exercise and an effort to build sustained public participation in environmental conservation, emphasizing that ensuring sapling survival and growth represents an equally important responsibility beyond initial planting.