Uttar Pradesh plans to plant over 30 crore saplings in 2026 monsoon; forest cover up 559 sq km in 9 years

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s Forest department has decided to plant over 30 crore saplings this monsoon season in the year 2026. The government claimed that over 242.13 crore saplings were planted in the last nine years.

According to a press release, issued by the UP government, the ongoing efforts to increase greenery have also contributed to the expansion of UP’s Forest cover by 559.19 square kilometres. The state, which planted 37.21 crore saplings in a single day (July 9) in 2025, has now begun preparations for the 2026 plantation campaign.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath's birthday falls on June 5^th, which coincidentally is also celebrated as Environment Day. The release said the CM Yogi motivates people for tree plantation on his birthday.


Before the tree plantation campaign during Monsoon season every year, CM Yogi personally holds meetings and monitors the successful conduct of the campaign. He also visits different districts across the state to plant trees. He also takes the initiative to connect every segment of society, including schoolchildren, youth, women, the elderly, employees, teachers, and social organizations, to this campaign.

According to the release, over 242 crore trees have been planted in nine years after CM Yogi assumed power in the state. The state government has awarded Green Gold Certificates to 18,348 children born between July 1 and 7, 2025. The children's parents were provided with saplings of various species and were made to pledge to nurture the saplings as they nurtured them, contributing to their growth into trees.

The state government has already started preparing for tree plantation in the monsoon season of 2026. The Forest and Environment Department has proposed a target of planting 35 crore saplings. More than 52 crore saplings will be ready for plantation in various nurseries. In the recently presented budget, a provision of Rs 800 crore has been proposed for the Social Forestry Scheme. A provision of Rs 220 crore for the Nursery Management Scheme and Rs 189 crore for the State Compensatory Forest Plantation Scheme has been proposed in the budget.