K M Dayashankar
Under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, Indore creates world record of planting 11 lakh saplings in a day and achieved its target of planting 51 lakh trees
So far, CAPFs have planted 5 crore 21 lakh saplings and 1 crore more saplings will be planted by the end of this year
NEW DELHI, JULY 14, 2024: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday started the plantation drive of planting 11 lakh trees in a single day under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign by planting saplings at the BSF campus in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Several dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav, and Union Minister Savitri Thakur were present on the occasion. Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Indore on Sunday achieved the target of planting 51 lakh trees, setting a world record of planting 11 lakh saplings in a single day.
Earlier in the morning, Amit Shah went to Pitreshwar Hanuman Temple of Indore to offer prayers. Pitreshwar Hanuman Temple has the tallest sitting Hanuman Statue in India.
In his address, Amit Shah said that it was the visionary idea of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who called upon the people to plant trees for the sake of our mothers and our mother earth and join the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. He said that when Modi ji started this campaign, no one had any idea that this campaign would become a people’s movement. He said that today the people are paying respect to their Mother and Mother Earth by planting saplings, associated with the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. Shri Shah said that Indore is known for cleanliness, delicious cuisines, good governance, cooperation and participation, but henceforth Indore will also be known by all for the historic tree plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. He said that Indore which is known as a smart city, metro city, clean city, hub of modern education, will also be known as a Green City.
Union Home Minister said that this is not just a government’s programme as administration can only facilitate but not make a campaign successful. He said that the state government has associated all residents of Indore with this campaign. He lauded the young mayor of Indore who came up with the idea of creating forests in the name of their great men by associating every caste and society with this program. Shri Shah said that along with long-lived trees like Banyan, Neem, Peepal trees with medicinal properties like Guava, Madhukamini, Karonda, Belpatra and Amla have also been planted. He said that in this complex, where nine forests will be built, arrangements have also been made to irrigate them by creating three ponds.
Shri Amit Shah praised all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) of the country and said that we had set a target that by May 2024, all the CAPFs together will plant 5 Crore trees. He said that the CAPFs achieved this target much in advance in 2023. Shri Shah said that so far, all CAPFs have planted 5.2 Crore saplings and by the end of this year, another 1 crore saplings are going to be planted. Speaking of the importance of the tree, Shri Shah said that it is written in the Matsya Purana that a stepwell is equal to 10 wells, a pond is equal to 10 stepwells, a son is equal to 10 ponds and a tree is equal to 10 sons. He said that the plants should be taken care of like a child until they grow up, later on when they grow up, they will take care of you like your mother.
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, many national level initiatives have been taken to protect the environment. He said that 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol and diesel has been permitted and by 2025, there will be 20 per cent blending in petrol and diesel across India. Along with this, more than 12 refineries have been set up to make biomass into biofuel, a program of 20 thousand crore rupees has been prepared under the Green Hydrogen Mission. Along with this, Shri Narendra Modi has also launched the Govardhan Scheme and the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change to protect the environment with foresight.
