Gonda: The district administration has launched an extensive plantation drive under the Vriksharopan Maha Abhiyan 2026 with the objective of achieving the government-assigned target of 42,54,100 saplings across the district.
Organised under the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government, the campaign is being implemented through coordinated efforts of government departments, local bodies and gram panchayats. The administration has also appointed nodal officers for effective monitoring and supervision of the programme, which has been designed as a mass public participation initiative.
Public representatives lead plantation efforts
On the occasion, Mahesh Kumar Shukla, Vice-Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Service Commission, planted saplings at the Recreation Centre in the ITI campus, Mankapur. He was joined by Mankapur MLA Ramapati Shastri, Gaura MLA Prabhat Verma, Chief Development Officer Dayanand Prasad and other senior officials.
The participants conveyed the message of environmental conservation, green development and community participation, while also pledging to ensure proper care and protection of the planted saplings.
Nodal officers inspect campaign progress
Kanchan Verma, Commissioner and Secretary, Revenue Council, Uttar Pradesh, who has been designated as the district’s nodal officer, along with Chief Revenue Officer Rinki Jaiswal, carried out plantation activities at Baseriya in Colonelganj and reviewed the implementation of the campaign.
They directed officials to ensure the survival and maintenance of the saplings through regular monitoring and protective measures.
District Magistrate appeals for public participation
District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan planted saplings at Gandhi Park in the city along with district officials and urged residents to actively participate in the plantation drive.
All departments achieve plantation targets
According to the administration, all departments—from the district headquarters to tehsil, block and gram panchayat levels—completed plantation activities in accordance with their assigned targets.
The campaign witnessed active participation from the Forest Department, Revenue Department, Rural Development Department, Panchayati Raj Department, Education Department, Agriculture Department, Horticulture Department and urban local bodies.
Public representatives, government employees, voluntary organisations, students and local residents also joined the drive, helping transform it into a large-scale public movement.
Focus on long-term environmental impact
The district administration has instructed all concerned departments to ensure regular maintenance, protection and monitoring of the saplings so that the initiative results in sustained environmental benefits rather than remaining a one-day plantation exercise.
Officials said the campaign aims to contribute significantly to the state’s green cover while promoting long-term ecological balance and public awareness about environmental conservation.
