Nagpur: Aiming to significantly expand Nagpur’s green cover, governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Saturday launched a month-long mega plantation campaign that targets planting 10 lakh saplings across Nagpur district by August 30.The campaign, one of the largest coordinated afforestation drives in the region, seeks to plant 5 lakh saplings within Nagpur city and another 5 lakh across the district through a joint initiative of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), district administration, zilla parishad, forest department and Green Foundation.The drive was inaugurated at Lok Bhavan, where the governor planted a sapling along with Union minister Nitin Gadkari, minister of state Pankaj Bhoyar, mayor Neeta Thakre and senior public representatives and officials. The Lok Bhavan campus will see the plantation of 10,000 trees during the campaign.The initiative comes at a time when Nagpur is increasingly witnessing extreme weather events, making urban greening a key component of climate adaptation. Officials said the focus will be on planting native and long-living species capable of improving biodiversity, enhancing groundwater recharge, reducing urban heat, and creating sustainable green corridors.The forest department will supply 5 lakh saplings for the campaign, while the Raisoni Group has committed 1 lakh saplings. Environmentalist Dr Dilip Chinchmalatpure will contribute 50,000 saplings, with financial support also being extended by MOIL and Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL).The plantation will include indigenous species such as banyan, peepal, cluster fig, neem, kadamba, arjun, karanj, palash, bakul, jamun, mahua, bael, tamarind, amla and mango, among others.Officials said the focus is not merely on achieving plantation targets but on ensuring the survival and maintenance of the saplings. The administration appealed to resident welfare associations, educational institutions, industries, and citizens to actively participate in the month-long campaign and adopt planted saplings for their upkeep.INFOBOXMega Plantation DriveDuration: August 1–30Total target: 10 lakh saplingsNagpur city: 5 lakhNagpur district: 5 lakhLaunch venue: Lok BhavanTrees at Lok Bhavan: 10,000Forest department contribution: 5 lakh saplingsRaisoni Group contribution: 1 lakh saplingsKey species: Banyan, peepal, neem, kadamba, arjun, jamun, mahua, amla, mango, palash, karanj and other native trees
