Kanpur: More than 37.63 lakh saplings were planted across Kanpur Nagar on Sunday as the district joined Uttar Pradesh’s mega plantation campaign under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative.Launching the district-level drive at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA), cabinet minister Rakesh Sachan called upon every family to plant and nurture a tree in the name of their mother, saying the success of the campaign would depend on the survival of the saplings.The district-level plantation and public awareness programme was organised at the CSA campus as part of the Uttar Pradesh govt’s Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026. Cabinet minister Rakesh Sachan, the chief guest, along with MP Ramesh Awasthi, planted saplings and conveyed the message of environmental conservation and increasing forest cover in the state.The programme featured cultural performances and the distribution of certificates of appreciation to students who excelled in competitions organised during Van Mahotsav, as well as to youths for their notable contributions to the festival.A colourful ‘Paudh Baarat’ (Plant Procession), led by schoolchildren and accompanied by music, was taken out across the university campus. Public representatives, officials, teachers, students, youths and local residents enthusiastically participated in the procession to spread awareness about environmental conservation.Saplings of various fruit-bearing, flowering and shade-giving species, including peepal, kadamb, gulmohar, kachnar, amla, guava, jamun, neem and mahogany, were planted in the university’s Yoga Vatika. In addition, schoolchildren and personnel of the Ganga Task Force planted 500 saplings in the open ground adjacent to the Yoga Vatika.Addressing the gathering, Rakesh Sachan said Uttar Pradesh had set an ambitious target of planting 35 crore saplings in a single day and that Kanpur’s campaign was launched from the CSA campus. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, he appealed to every family to plant at least one tree in their mother’s name and take responsibility for its care and protection. He added that the government was providing saplings free of cost and making arrangements for their upkeep.District Nodal Officer Dr M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram said Kanpur Nagar had created a new record by planting more than 40 lakh saplings during the campaign. He emphasised that the real success of the drive would depend on the survival and regular maintenance of the saplings and assured that special arrangements would be made for their protection.District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh described tree plantation as a commitment to securing the future of coming generations rather than merely a one-day campaign. He stressed that preserving planted saplings was even more important than planting them.Divisional Forest Officer Akanksha Jain said the Forest Department planted 8.90 lakh saplings, while various other departments planted 28.73 lakh saplings, taking the district’s total plantation count to 37.63 lakh. She said the campaign focused not only on plantation but also on the conservation and long-term care of saplings to strengthen Kanpur’s green cover.The programme was jointly organised by the district administration and the Forest Department under the leadership of District Nodal Officer and Principal Secretary (Labour and Employment) Dr M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram, CSA Vice-Chancellor Dr Sanjeev Gupta and Chief Conservator of Forests (Kanpur Circle) N.K. Janu. Chief Development Officer Abhinav J. Jain, DFO Akanksha Jain, officials from various departments, teachers, schoolchildren and youths also participated in the drive.
