Punjab Guv leads tree plantation drive in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Jul 5 (PTI) Punjab Governor and Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday led a city-wide tree plantation drive on the occasion of 'Van Mahotsav 2025'.

In a single day, a total of 1,05,874 saplings were planted at 253 locations with the governor planting saplings at 23 different locations across the city, according to an official statement.

Addressing a gathering during the plantation campaign, the governor called upon all citizens to treat the occasion not as an annual ritual, but as a solemn pledge towards the well-being of our planet.

"Van Mahotsav is not merely about planting trees; it is about planting hope, balance, and the future itself. This is not an event, it is a green movement that must echo through every household, every school, every institution of Chandigarh," he said.

Recalling the words of literary legend Munshi Premchand -- "Vrikshon ka arth hai jal, jal se roti aur roti se hi jeevan" -- the governor emphasised that the survival of human life is intricately linked to the existence of trees.

Without trees, there can be no rains, no rivers, no fertile lands and no future, he said.

The governor also pointed to sobering global statistics, citing that over 15 billion trees are lost each year worldwide, equivalent to the destruction of 40 football fields of forest every second.

Chandigarh, already distinguished by its remarkable 51.54 per cent green cover, has once again raised the national benchmark with this city-wide campaign, he said.

He noted that this year, more than five lakh saplings are scheduled to be planted across the Union Territory, reflecting the administration's vision for long-term ecological restoration. PTI CHS RHL