The Kanpur district administration has unveiled an ambitious tree plantation plan under which major roads will be lined with Peepal and Amaltas trees, seven special theme-based forests will be developed in development blocks, and Gokul Vatikas will be established across the district. This decision was taken during a meeting of the Tree Plantation Committee chaired by District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh on Tuesday.
Mass Movement for Plantation
The District Magistrate directed all departments to work in close coordination to transform the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign into a mass movement. He instructed officials to develop ‘Gokul Vatikas’ at 52 shelters that have been merged with nearby shelters and where Gram Samaj land is lying vacant. These sites will be converted into green zones through large-scale plantation drives.
Unique Road Identities
Peepal saplings will be planted on both sides of the Ramaipur-Sadh-Jahanabad route, while Amaltas saplings will be planted along the stretch from Ganga Barrage to Mandhana. These initiatives will give both routes a unique identity.
Seven Theme Forests Planned
The administration has planned seven special forests in different parts of the district:
- Vande Mataram Vatika: Featuring 111 saplings at the War Memorial in DGQA Colony under the Cantonment Board area.
- Energy Forest: With 17,500 saplings at Hajipur village in Bilhaur tehsil, using fuel-purpose tree species.
- Maharishi Charak Forest: At Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj Ashram.
- Social Harmony Forest: At Kargil Park.
- Prosperity Forest and Oxy-Forest: At Sanjay Van Chetna Kendra.
- Fruit Orchard: At Allen Forest.
Directions were also issued for establishing Miyawaki forests in every development block.
Plantation Drives and Targets
The DM directed officials to undertake extensive plantation under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign on World Environment Day on June 5. A massive plantation drive will be carried out during the first week of July with the onset of the monsoon. All departments have been directed to start lifting saplings from nurseries from June 15 onwards.
Divisional Forest Officer (In-charge) Vikas Nayak informed that around 52 lakh saplings are ready in 27 nurseries across the district. These include saplings of Mango, Mahua, Peepal, Pakad, Banyan, Moringa, Semal, Siris, Sheesham, Jamun, Kaitha, Gular, Bel, Baheda, Ashok, Kadam, Amla, Guava, Pomegranate, and Tamarind.
Department-wise Targets
According to the targets set, the Forest department will plant 8.55 lakh saplings, while the Rural Development department has been assigned a target of 13.06 lakh saplings. The Agriculture department will plant 2.93 lakh, Environment department 2.41 lakh, Urban Development department 2.16 lakh, Panchayati Raj department 1.37 lakh, and Revenue department 96,700 saplings.
Chief Development Officer Abhinav J Jain, Chief Veterinary Officer Anurag Singh, District Panchayati Raj Officer Manoj Kumar, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Ashish Jain, and District Agriculture Officer Arunesh were present in the meeting.
