Over 6.7 lakh saplings to be planted in Uttar Pradesh

All government departments including village panchayats and NGOs have been roped in to implement the project

A record 6,70,803 saplings will be planted in Agra on July 11 as a part of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's ambitious green drive.

"The state government has announced that on a single day (July 11), a world record will be set by planting five crore saplings in the state.

"This would be a part of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's ambitious green drive," District magistrate Pankaj Kumar.

The action is part of state government's 'Clean UP, Green UP' initiative.

All government departments including village panchayats and NGOs have been roped in by the district authorities to pool resources to implement the green project in Agra, which is also a part of the eco-sensitive Taj Trapezium.

"Urbanisation and poor implementation of forest laws and environmental rules have led to the degradation of vast areas resulting in poor precipitation," said Devashish Bhattacharya, an environmentalist said.

Bhattarcharya's petition to protect Keitham reserve forest on the Agra-Delhi national highway is pending before the National Green Tribunal.

Last year, the state had earned itself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for its green drive under which 10 lakh saplings were planted in one day within a span of eight hours.