Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called upon people across the country to mark Hariyali Amavasya on August 12 by planting saplings, with members of the Vriksh Mitra Parivar pledging to plant more than 50,000 saplings nationwide.
Chouhan will lead a plantation drive at the PBG Ground, Central Range, near Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, along with hundreds of colleagues on Wednesday. At the same time, thousands of members associated with his Vriksh Mitra Abhiyan will undertake plantation activities in villages, cities and panchayats across the country.
The initiative aims to turn Hariyali Amavasya into an occasion for active environmental conservation and encourage wider public participation in tree plantation and nurturing.
Chouhan said Hariyali Amavasya, observed on August 12, provides an opportunity to express gratitude towards nature. He said India’s festivals traditionally carry both a scientific perspective and a message aimed at improving people’s lives.
The minister said the greenery across fields and the anticipation of a new crop make the occasion particularly significant for farmers and rural communities. However, he said gratitude towards nature should not remain limited to words and should be reflected through concrete action such as planting and protecting trees.
Vriksh Mitra members to participate across country
Members of the Vriksh Mitra Parivar have resolved to organise plantation drives in their respective villages, cities and panchayats. The initiative is intended not only to increase green cover but also to spread awareness about environmental conservation and collective responsibility.
Chouhan appealed to citizens to make Hariyali Amavasya memorable by planting at least one sapling and actively contributing to environmental protection.
He said planting a tree was more than an environmental activity as it represented an investment in a safer, healthier and more sustainable future for coming generations.
Campaign seeks to build people’s movement
Chouhan urged every Vriksh Mitra and citizen to plant at least one sapling on August 12. He also encouraged participants to involve five more people in the plantation pledge and asked each of them to encourage another five people to participate.
The minister said such a chain of participation could help transform tree plantation into a people’s movement, with individuals motivating their families, friends, neighbours and communities to contribute to environmental conservation.
He also urged citizens participating in plantation activities to upload details and photographs of their drives on shivrajsinghchouhan.co.in, with the aim of creating a campaign reflecting participation from people across different sections of society.
The nationwide initiative is expected to combine plantation with public awareness on the importance of protecting and nurturing trees, giving an environmental dimension to the celebration of Hariyali Amavasya.
