Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Vriksh Mitra Abhiyan (Tree Friend Campaign) during the Environment Protection Resolve Programme and Vriksh Mitra Samvad organized at Pusa Complex in New Delhi. The event was attended by approximately 17,000 Vriksh Mitra participants from across the country, including Padma Bhushan environmentalist Shri Anil Joshi, renowned doctor and social worker Dr. Anoop Hazela, and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research Dr. M.L. Jat, with both physical and virtual participation.
The campaign presents a comprehensive roadmap for environmental protection through mass participation. Key resolutions include planting trees on personal auspicious occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, children's births, and pious memories of parents, transforming these into Tree Festivals. Each Vriksh Mitra is expected to plant at least one tree annually and connect five new people to the campaign, with public announcements through social media posts to build a strong network by Hariyali Amavasya on August 12.
A structured organizational framework will be established through Vriksh Mitra Pariwar committees at national, state, district, block, and village levels, with plans for formal registration. Designated plantation sites will be identified in panchayats and urban local bodies where government schemes including Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Lakhpati Didi Yojana, and programs of Agriculture and Rural Development Departments will commence with tree planting ceremonies.
The campaign will feature collective plantation and nature worship on Govardhan Puja, World Environment Day, and Hariyali Amavasya, with appeals for tree planting in wedding invitation cards and religious-social events. Public awareness will be driven through saints, social leaders, and social media influencers, supported by a separate logo and digital portal for Vriksh Mitra Family to create social pressure where not planting trees becomes shameful while tree planting symbolizes progress and prestige.
A massive nationwide plantation drive is planned for Hariyali Amavasya on August 12, 2026, which will be developed into an annual Tree Festival tradition. The Minister emphasized tree protection over mere planting, recommending that every panchayat identify 2-3 acres of land as Vriksh Mitra Sites for regular plantation with collective responsibility for care. Similarly, urban local bodies including nagar panchayats and municipal corporations will fix multiple plantation sites with monitoring arrangements.
The initiative directly connects environmental protection with agriculture and farmers' futures, addressing concerns about water availability, soil quality, and long-term field health. The Minister highlighted decreasing soil fertility due to unbalanced chemical use and indiscriminate exploitation, affecting production quality and public health. The approach emphasizes balanced use for water and soil conservation, respecting soil bearing capacity, and expanding farming practices that preserve earth's health while securing farmers' income.
The campaign integrates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), promoting daily habits such as turning off lights, fixing leaking taps, avoiding water waste, waste segregation, plastic avoidance, and incorporating coarse grains and local products in diets. Energy conservation measures include using LED lights, BLDC fans, energy efficient ACs and refrigerators, and promoting electric vehicles to address energy production and conservation challenges.
Environmentalist Shri Anil Joshi described the initiative as a long-term inspirational thought rather than mere tree planting, noting that IIT scientists have begun scientific study of Shri Chouhan's environmental works using remote sensing and technical means to assess ground-level changes. Dr. Anoop Hazela emphasized the 'adopt one tree' concept for urban residents living in flats, suggesting daily care for plants and promoting Green Certification for institutions to improve energy, water, waste, and plastic usage.