UP: How far has the green resolution and tree plantation campaign of CM Yogi reached in Uttar Pradesh, the land of sages?

Dashakupasama vapi, dashavapisamo hradah. Dashahradasama putro, dashputrasamo drumah.

The spirit of Indian environmental thinking can be understood from this verse of Matsya Purana, which means that one stepwell is equal to ten wells, one pond is equal to ten stepwells, one son is equal to ten ponds and one tree is equal to ten sons. In fact, this verse is the written form of the collective memory of our eternal civilization, whose belief is strong that human existence is not possible without water and forests.

In this verse, the importance of a tree is shown more than that of a son, hence a son is the basis of a family but a tree is the basis of generations. India’s sage tradition never left the environment at the emotional level, it understood and explained it with logic, proportion and practical sense. While the historic achievement in the direction of plantation under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been achieved, it is an extension of that sage tradition, which had a relationship of reverence with nature.

A decade ago no one thought about the environment

Uttar Pradesh It has been the land of sages and sages but it is ironical that till a decade ago there was a complete lack of awareness towards the environment. Forest land kept shrinking, reservoirs kept being filled, groundwater kept being exploited but the environment could not get the desired place in the priority of the government and administration. The biggest proof of this apathy is that when Yogi government came to power in the state in 2017, there were only five lakh saplings in the nurseries of the forest department. This situation was worrying and generations could have to pay for it, so Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took it as a campaign and set big targets.

Planting of trees was linked to participation and everyone’s responsibility was fixed. Its meaningful result is that 242 crore saplings have been planted since 2017. This year, on Environment Day, five crore saplings were planted in one day and the target is to plant 35 crore saplings in a single day on 12th July. The basis of this green revolution can be seen today in Uttar Pradesh, where more than 57 crore plants are ready in nurseries.

The effect of mass tree planting campaign started becoming visible

Mass tree plantation campaigns have been going on in Uttar Pradesh earlier also. After independence, many governments celebrated Van Mahotsav, planted saplings and made announcements, but their lasting impact was not seen because they did not think about developing a system to protect the plants after planting. If thinking is being done in this direction today, there is a strong possibility that out of 242 crore plants, about two-thirds will grow into trees and will bring changes in the geography and climate of the state.

In this context, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mention of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign is also relevant, which in a way connects people emotionally with tree plantation. This campaign psychologically motivates people to plant trees. People know that planting trees is good, yet they do not plant them. When a tree is linked to one’s mother, it becomes a social responsibility. This campaign has tried to connect the emotional bond that Indian society has with its mother with environmental consciousness.

Farmer’s livelihood is being taken care of

One dimension is often neglected in this entire scenario. The changing cycle of weather has a direct and devastating impact on the farmer. There has been a difference of about one and a half month between the weather that was there twenty-five years ago and the weather that is there today. For a farmer from Uttar Pradesh who has two bighas of land, this deviation of one and a half months puts his entire livelihood in uncertainty. Delayed monsoon, premature return of winter, sudden hailstorms, all these are symptoms of climate imbalance, the root of which is the degradation of forests.

Tree plantation is the easiest and most proven step towards solving this problem. Here again the relevance of the Rishi tradition is there. Our ancestors considered Peepal and Banyan trees as sacred so that those trees which were of greatest environmental utility should be preserved at all costs. Digging a well was considered virtuous so that water management became a social value, not a government scheme. The comparative importance of construction of ponds and stepwells given in Matsya Purana is actually a water conservation policy expressed in the language of religion. In today’s time, that language can be changed but not that knowledge.

One day grand target of 242 crore saplings

What is happening in Uttar Pradesh is an attempt to revive the same knowledge through modern policy and administrative will. Environment should not be seen against development but as a prerequisite for development. Uttar Pradesh has given impetus to environmental protection along with maintaining the pace of development, so this is a big achievement.

242 crore saplings and one day grand target of 35 crore, this is a big message for other states. The goal of net zero cannot be kept only on paper. Efforts will have to be made for that, we will have to come to the ground of reality. Environmental protection is the responsibility of every society, every government and every citizen and huge money is not required to shoulder this responsibility. We just have to keep in mind our Sanatan Rishi tradition and move forward continuously. (These are the personal views of the author)