Akhilesh questions UP govt'€™s tree plantation figures

Lucknow, Jul 9 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday cast doubt on the Uttar Pradesh government's claim of planting 37 crore trees this year under the ongoing Van Mahotsav campaign, calling it an "event-driven" initiative lacking transparency and credibility.

Speaking to the media at the party headquarters here, Yadav said the state government frequently cites figures of 200 crore trees planted so far over the years, but has never clarified where land for such a massive number of trees has been allocated.

"In Etawah, we once planted around 1.3 lakh trees on 1,000 acres of land. If that's the ratio, then where is the land for 200 crore trees?" he asked.

Taking a dig at the state's campaign slogan "Ek Ped Maa ke Naam (One tree in mother's name)," Yadav said the effort appears more symbolic than substantive.

"This government has turned plantation into an emotional event, not a sustained environmental effort," he remarked.

Highlighting the SP's own record, Yadav cited examples from Lucknow where trees planted during his tenure are now fully grown.

"From Hazratganj to the Governor's residence, Lohia Path and Samta Mulak crossing, all trees that were planted under the SP government now bear flowers of different colours and hues throughout the year," he said.

Yadav accused the current BJP-led government of replicating SP-era policies without innovation.

"Whether it's the saplings along canals or the expressway, those plantations were done when we were in power. They are only copying and advertising, doing nothing genuinely new or impactful," he claimed.

He also recalled that during the SP government, plantation targets were clearly set -- 50,000 trees per day -- and green zones were properly identified to ensure systematic afforestation.

"This government is not doing any good work. They are simply rebranding old ideas," Yadav charged. PTI KIS DV DV