Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called on Sunday to organize a large-scale tree planting movement aimed at creating a more ecological environment.
The 'Village Festival' Concept
Speaking at the 'Paryavaran Sanrakshan Sankalp' and 'Vriksh Mitra Dialogue' events on the PUSA campus, Chouhan proposed that every family celebrate important occasions—such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, births, and memorials—by planting trees. Thus, any personal event could be transformed into a 'Village Festival.'
Calls to Campaign Participants
He strongly urged every member of 'Vriksh Mitra' to plant at least one tree annually and motivate at least five other people to join this campaign. Participants must publicly declare their commitment on social media to form a strong nationwide network for 'Hariyali Amavasya', scheduled for August 12th.
Structuring Environmental Measures
Furthermore, the minister presented a detailed plan that will transform environmental protection into a structured mass action, based on suggestions received from 'Vriksh Mitras' during meetings. The official statement announced that a structure of 'Vriksh Mitra Parivar' committees would be created at national, state, district, block, and village levels to ensure an organized institutional base for this movement.
Expansion of Initiatives and Participation
Chouhan also suggested formally registering this structure and appealed to Panchayats and urban local bodies to allocate special plots for planting. He emphasized that all auspicious events and government programs, including 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana', 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', 'Lakhpati Didi Yojana', and initiatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, should begin with tree planting.
About 17,000 members of 'Vriksh Mitra' from across the country participated in the program. Also present were Padma Bhushan awardee ecologist Anil Joshi, renowned doctor and social worker Anup Sehgal, CEO of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and ML Jad. Together, they decided to promote tree planting, water conservation, soil protection, energy efficiency, and a plastic-free lifestyle through active public participation to protect the planet. The minister noted that tree planting efforts would cease to be scattered initiatives and would be incorporated into an organized nationwide network called 'Vriksh Mitra Parivar.'