"Trees are poems that Earth writes upon the sky.We fell them and turn them into newspapers that we may record our emptiness." -Kahlil Gibran
We need to plant trees to preserve ecology and environment , to prevent climate change and global warming,to preserve and sustain life on earth."The symbolism "--and substantive significance of planting a tree has universal power in every culture and every society on Earth and it is a way for individual men , women and children to participate in creating solutions for the environmental crisis" -- Al Gore, 2007 Nobel Prize Winner. " A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in"-Greek Proverb.
Though there is some awareness among people to plant trees voluntarily, it is necssary to accelrate the pace of planting trees to avert the impending crisis of global warming and climate change.This can be done successfully by organising periodic tree plantation drives.
In empowering the public , a drive also empowers the governments by providing proof that addressing climate change is not a political risk.Far from it , it is perhaps the most popular move of our time , with electorates right behind leaders who take significant action on a transition to low carbon socielty.Plantation drive responds to a need and common yearning to solve the environmental crisis and to be a part of the solution .We just don't get our hands dirty but it gladdens our hearts and connects us to other eco -citizens around the world.
We in the Forest departmrnt of Uttar Pradeh organised a very unique Tree Plantation drive in 2007 to plant 10 million saplings on a single day(31 July 2007) as apart of a bigger world-wide drive organised by UNEP and called "Plant for the Planet.The Billion Tree campaign".United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) published a book in 2008 with the title "Plant for the Planet.The Billion Tree Campaign.An Album"(ISBNN:978- 92-807-2896-5).
Many features of Uttar Pradesh campaign of July 31, 2007 should be followed by any one who wishes to organise such a drive.It is important that all governments in states of India organise one massive plantation drive during the Monsoons.But to do large-scale plantation during Monsoons it is important to do the advance planning and other ground work.
UNEP described in the above quoted quoted booklet this achievement as a world record set by India , and Guinness World Records Ltd also recorded it as a world record in the form of a certificate as below: Guinness World Records
Certificate
"The most trees planted in one day is 10,000,000 in an event organised by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department across the State of Uttar Pradesh on 31 July 2007."
. . . . . . . . . . . . ..Guinness World Records Ltd.
The UNEP booklet says the following:
"Billion Tree Campaign
World record set by India in July, 2007".
Mr. Achim Steiner , Executive Director of UNEP and Under Secretary General , United Nations wrote:"The precise number of people mobilised awaits compilation.It is worthy to note ,however that 6,00,000 people including school children in Uttar Pradesh , India planted 10.5 million trees in a single day of July 2007."
It may be mentioned that the UNEP acknowledged that a number of regional and national governments organised the most massive plantings.India found mention in the top plnating countries.India , Japan , the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela were reported to have planted 11 million saplings each .It is a matter of pride that out of 11 million trees planted by India in Billion Tree campaign , 10.5 million trees were planted only by Uttar Pradesh on July31 , 2007. A part of credit goes to personalities like Al Gore , Prof Wangari Maathai of Kenya (the Nobel Peace Laureate)."When we plant trees , we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope." -Prof . Wangari Maathai.
The greenest day of calendar in India and a tree planting record by 6,00,000 volunteers. 10.5 million trees planted by Uttar Pradesh in a single day.The Forest Department of Government of Uttar Pradesh , the most populous state of India succeded in planting 10.5 million trees in a single day on 31 July , 2007.This ambitious project in which 6,00,000 people participated , was meant to raise the awareness of the residents of the State towards the importance of tree-planting and the vital role of trees in correcting ecological imbalances , removing the environmental pollution and increasing tree cover.The decision to launch this unique operation was taken at the government level.
The saplings were planted by school children , the local population , farmers , industrial units, government departments and the forest department .The object of the exercise was to make tree plantation a people's participatory activity with people from a vast cross-section of society participating in the planting os saplings at 9320 sites across the seventy districts of the State.Of these 43.72% were farmers ,38.01% were educational institutions' sites , 9.14% forest department's sites,6.33% other government departments' sites and the remaining sites were of other institutions.The planting activity on all sites were photographed and authenticated.For this , 18,640 independent authenticators were mobilised.
The pits for planting were dug in advance and the plants to be planted were transportted to the sites in order to be planted in one go on 31 July 2007 . The entire activity was carefully sequenced and detailed guidelines were prepared in the form of a booklet and widely circulated.The whole effort of planting over ten million saplings on one day was co-ordinated centrally from the State capital at Lucknow.Detailed plans were prepared which included the details of the sites along with GPS based locations , the species of saplings to be planted , the source of saplings as well as the name of site co-ordinators , photogrphers and videographers.
In India , 31 July 2007 was an auspicious day as it represented the first day of Shrawan , according to the Hindu calendar. The exercise gave a boost to the Billion Tree Campaign . Organisers also recalled that the theme of World Environment Day 2007 was "Melting Ice-A Hot Topic" and the Forest Department of Uttar Pradesh helped the issues of global warming , expansion of tree cover and carbon sequestration.
There was large scale participation by many citizens and institutions by way of contributions in kind for meeting the cost of plants , their transportation , payment of photographers , etc.In many places , the officers /staff of the forest department had voluntarily donated salary os a day for this purpose.
The essentials of any tree plantation drive are as below:
(1). Role of Forest Department
(a).As co-ordinator.
(b).As supplier of saplings.
(c).Technical know how in choice of species , planting and post-planting care.
(2). Mobilse the local communities to participate in the campaign .Category of participants could be :
(a) Private individuals.
(b)civil society and NGOs.
(c).Local and national government.1) Forest Department .2)Other Government Departments.
(d) Farmers.
(e)Private companies
(f) Community groups.
(g).Schools and other educational institutions.
(h).Children and youth.
(i)Media.
(j). Others.
(3).A few leading media houses be made partner so that through media campaign , others can be motivated to join.Media includes newspapers , TV channels , FM channels and magazines.
(4).Point out plant species most fit for area.Right trees for the right place -- so that such trees transform both lives and landscapes.Plant local species to restore the area's original biodiversity.
(5).Sapling distribution at new outlets.
(6) Publicity for new outlets for making saplings available.
(7).Giving the gift of saplings.
(8).Arrangement for funds through government and company funds under Corporate Social Responsibility.
(9).Bucket farming for those who live in flats.
(10).SMSs be sent enblock through bulk SMS providers.
(11).Utilizing the lessons learnt from the previous campaigns.
(12)Involving celebrities to promote campaign and to plant one sapling.Superstars from the world of fashion , music and media should also plant saplings.
(13) Plantation drive as an activity for environment education .
(14)NGOs may have the following role to play:
(a).To co-ordinate with Residents' Welfare Associations and Market Associations.
(b).To co-ordinate with Eco clubs in schools and colleges for massive plantation.
(c).To train people ,particularly children to plant trees properly.
(d).To identify a nodal plan in each association /school to work with.
(e).To assess the number of saplings required as also the species which will be required.
(f).The NGOs can be advised to identify and adopt old/heritage trees growing in and around the cities.For this , they will take the help of financial institutions and co-operative sector.
(15).In urban areas , Residents' Welfare Associations may perform the following roles:
(a).Informing the residents of the tree plantation drive.
(b).Collecting saplings from Forest nurseries.
(c).Gathering volunteers for planting .
(d).Identifying places for planting.
(e).Co-ordinating with NGOs and governmental agencies and chalking out programme for plantation in their respective colonies.
(f).Ensuring proper protection and regular watering of plants.
(16).Role of Municipal Corporations , Housing Boards and Development Authorities in providing sites for plantation in parks , green belts and round abouts..
(17).Role of Horticulture Department:Providing saplings from horticultural nurseries and giving technical know how.
(18).Role of Rural Development Department in motivating village panchayats and other rural local bodies.
(19).Role of banks and other financial institutions in sponsoring tree guards and other fencing materials.
(20).Last but not the least .Tree Plantation Drive must pledge to involve every resident of the State as a part of his or her fundamental constitutional duty.
The above is not an exhaustive list , but if followed in spirit,it will result in a highly successful tree Plantation Drive.
(This article was published in June 15,2016 issue of the magazine Tree Take, Lucknow, UP, India.)
We need to plant trees to preserve ecology and environment , to prevent climate change and global warming,to preserve and sustain life on earth."The symbolism "--and substantive significance of planting a tree has universal power in every culture and every society on Earth and it is a way for individual men , women and children to participate in creating solutions for the environmental crisis" -- Al Gore, 2007 Nobel Prize Winner. " A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in"-Greek Proverb.
Though there is some awareness among people to plant trees voluntarily, it is necssary to accelrate the pace of planting trees to avert the impending crisis of global warming and climate change.This can be done successfully by organising periodic tree plantation drives.
In empowering the public , a drive also empowers the governments by providing proof that addressing climate change is not a political risk.Far from it , it is perhaps the most popular move of our time , with electorates right behind leaders who take significant action on a transition to low carbon socielty.Plantation drive responds to a need and common yearning to solve the environmental crisis and to be a part of the solution .We just don't get our hands dirty but it gladdens our hearts and connects us to other eco -citizens around the world.
We in the Forest departmrnt of Uttar Pradeh organised a very unique Tree Plantation drive in 2007 to plant 10 million saplings on a single day(31 July 2007) as apart of a bigger world-wide drive organised by UNEP and called "Plant for the Planet.The Billion Tree campaign".United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) published a book in 2008 with the title "Plant for the Planet.The Billion Tree Campaign.An Album"(ISBNN:978- 92-807-2896-5).
Many features of Uttar Pradesh campaign of July 31, 2007 should be followed by any one who wishes to organise such a drive.It is important that all governments in states of India organise one massive plantation drive during the Monsoons.But to do large-scale plantation during Monsoons it is important to do the advance planning and other ground work.
UNEP described in the above quoted quoted booklet this achievement as a world record set by India , and Guinness World Records Ltd also recorded it as a world record in the form of a certificate as below: Guinness World Records
Certificate
"The most trees planted in one day is 10,000,000 in an event organised by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department across the State of Uttar Pradesh on 31 July 2007."
. . . . . . . . . . . . ..Guinness World Records Ltd.
The UNEP booklet says the following:
"Billion Tree Campaign
World record set by India in July, 2007".
Mr. Achim Steiner , Executive Director of UNEP and Under Secretary General , United Nations wrote:"The precise number of people mobilised awaits compilation.It is worthy to note ,however that 6,00,000 people including school children in Uttar Pradesh , India planted 10.5 million trees in a single day of July 2007."
It may be mentioned that the UNEP acknowledged that a number of regional and national governments organised the most massive plantings.India found mention in the top plnating countries.India , Japan , the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela were reported to have planted 11 million saplings each .It is a matter of pride that out of 11 million trees planted by India in Billion Tree campaign , 10.5 million trees were planted only by Uttar Pradesh on July31 , 2007. A part of credit goes to personalities like Al Gore , Prof Wangari Maathai of Kenya (the Nobel Peace Laureate)."When we plant trees , we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope." -Prof . Wangari Maathai.
The greenest day of calendar in India and a tree planting record by 6,00,000 volunteers. 10.5 million trees planted by Uttar Pradesh in a single day.The Forest Department of Government of Uttar Pradesh , the most populous state of India succeded in planting 10.5 million trees in a single day on 31 July , 2007.This ambitious project in which 6,00,000 people participated , was meant to raise the awareness of the residents of the State towards the importance of tree-planting and the vital role of trees in correcting ecological imbalances , removing the environmental pollution and increasing tree cover.The decision to launch this unique operation was taken at the government level.
The saplings were planted by school children , the local population , farmers , industrial units, government departments and the forest department .The object of the exercise was to make tree plantation a people's participatory activity with people from a vast cross-section of society participating in the planting os saplings at 9320 sites across the seventy districts of the State.Of these 43.72% were farmers ,38.01% were educational institutions' sites , 9.14% forest department's sites,6.33% other government departments' sites and the remaining sites were of other institutions.The planting activity on all sites were photographed and authenticated.For this , 18,640 independent authenticators were mobilised.
The pits for planting were dug in advance and the plants to be planted were transportted to the sites in order to be planted in one go on 31 July 2007 . The entire activity was carefully sequenced and detailed guidelines were prepared in the form of a booklet and widely circulated.The whole effort of planting over ten million saplings on one day was co-ordinated centrally from the State capital at Lucknow.Detailed plans were prepared which included the details of the sites along with GPS based locations , the species of saplings to be planted , the source of saplings as well as the name of site co-ordinators , photogrphers and videographers.
In India , 31 July 2007 was an auspicious day as it represented the first day of Shrawan , according to the Hindu calendar. The exercise gave a boost to the Billion Tree Campaign . Organisers also recalled that the theme of World Environment Day 2007 was "Melting Ice-A Hot Topic" and the Forest Department of Uttar Pradesh helped the issues of global warming , expansion of tree cover and carbon sequestration.
There was large scale participation by many citizens and institutions by way of contributions in kind for meeting the cost of plants , their transportation , payment of photographers , etc.In many places , the officers /staff of the forest department had voluntarily donated salary os a day for this purpose.
The essentials of any tree plantation drive are as below:
(1). Role of Forest Department
(a).As co-ordinator.
(b).As supplier of saplings.
(c).Technical know how in choice of species , planting and post-planting care.
(2). Mobilse the local communities to participate in the campaign .Category of participants could be :
(a) Private individuals.
(b)civil society and NGOs.
(c).Local and national government.1) Forest Department .2)Other Government Departments.
(d) Farmers.
(e)Private companies
(f) Community groups.
(g).Schools and other educational institutions.
(h).Children and youth.
(i)Media.
(j). Others.
(3).A few leading media houses be made partner so that through media campaign , others can be motivated to join.Media includes newspapers , TV channels , FM channels and magazines.
(4).Point out plant species most fit for area.Right trees for the right place -- so that such trees transform both lives and landscapes.Plant local species to restore the area's original biodiversity.
(5).Sapling distribution at new outlets.
(6) Publicity for new outlets for making saplings available.
(7).Giving the gift of saplings.
(8).Arrangement for funds through government and company funds under Corporate Social Responsibility.
(9).Bucket farming for those who live in flats.
(10).SMSs be sent enblock through bulk SMS providers.
(11).Utilizing the lessons learnt from the previous campaigns.
(12)Involving celebrities to promote campaign and to plant one sapling.Superstars from the world of fashion , music and media should also plant saplings.
(13) Plantation drive as an activity for environment education .
(14)NGOs may have the following role to play:
(a).To co-ordinate with Residents' Welfare Associations and Market Associations.
(b).To co-ordinate with Eco clubs in schools and colleges for massive plantation.
(c).To train people ,particularly children to plant trees properly.
(d).To identify a nodal plan in each association /school to work with.
(e).To assess the number of saplings required as also the species which will be required.
(f).The NGOs can be advised to identify and adopt old/heritage trees growing in and around the cities.For this , they will take the help of financial institutions and co-operative sector.
(15).In urban areas , Residents' Welfare Associations may perform the following roles:
(a).Informing the residents of the tree plantation drive.
(b).Collecting saplings from Forest nurseries.
(c).Gathering volunteers for planting .
(d).Identifying places for planting.
(e).Co-ordinating with NGOs and governmental agencies and chalking out programme for plantation in their respective colonies.
(f).Ensuring proper protection and regular watering of plants.
(16).Role of Municipal Corporations , Housing Boards and Development Authorities in providing sites for plantation in parks , green belts and round abouts..
(17).Role of Horticulture Department:Providing saplings from horticultural nurseries and giving technical know how.
(18).Role of Rural Development Department in motivating village panchayats and other rural local bodies.
(19).Role of banks and other financial institutions in sponsoring tree guards and other fencing materials.
(20).Last but not the least .Tree Plantation Drive must pledge to involve every resident of the State as a part of his or her fundamental constitutional duty.
The above is not an exhaustive list , but if followed in spirit,it will result in a highly successful tree Plantation Drive.
(This article was published in June 15,2016 issue of the magazine Tree Take, Lucknow, UP, India.)
2 comments:
Your Commendable Leadership Initiative we witnessed in the year 2007
It was a great and satisfying team effort .Thanks for your positive comment, Gyan Pandey.
V N Garg
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