PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday claimed that it has planted a whopping 8.13 lakh trees as part of Harela festival reaffirming the hill state’s commitment to the environment conservation.
“So far, more than 8 lakh 13 thousand saplings have been planted in the entire state, which is the largest plantation effort ever in Uttarakhand on the occasion of any festival,” said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami after planting a tree Dehradun as part of the Harela celebrations.
Chief Minister Dhami has tried to give a wider form to the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by linking it with a meaningful public message like ‘Celebrate Harela festival, repay the debt of Mother Earth’.
Plantation programs were organized at thousands of places in villages, towns, cities and schools in all 13 districts of the state, the official statement said. Local administration, forest department, voluntary organizations, schools, Anganwadi centers, women’s groups and youth participated with full enthusiasm during the day long festival across the state, an official statement said.
“This is not just a tree plantation program, but an initiative that is deepening the sense of faith, responsibility and conservation towards nature among the people of the state,” Chief Minister Dhami said.
He said the festival shows that Uttarakhand is not just a Himalayan state, but a symbol of an aware and active society to protect water, forest and land. He also clarified that the state government is moving forward by balancing between the development and the environmental and termed it as integral part of the government’s primary policy.
The Chief Minister emphasized that Harela festival is no longer just a cultural festival, but it has become a celebration of the collective consciousness of the people of the state. “The seeds that are being planted in the earth in the form of plants are a symbol of greenery, hope, faith and sustainable development,” Dhami said.
In the coming years, these seeds will become the basis for the creation of a green, prosperous and eco-sensitive Uttarakhand, he emphasized.