LUCKNOW, July 10 -- The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that 37.21 crore saplings were planted in a single day on Wednesday under the mega plantation drive 2025. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath planted saplings in Ayodhya, Azamgarh and Gorakhpur, along with forest minister Arun K Saxena and head of forest force Sunil Chaudhary. "It brings happiness to say Uttar Pradesh has planted over 37-crore saplings in one day. This is not just the number of saplings but the number of responsibility, sympathy and thankfulness towards nature," Adityanath said after the plantation drive. A total of 37,21,40,925 saplings were planted across 5,89,705 plantation sites in 18 divisions. The highest plantation was in Lucknow division Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Satish Mahana, planted a Champa sapling on the state legislature campus. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak planted a sapling in the Sugamau forest area of Kukrail range with divisional forest officer Sitanshu Pandey where the 'Triveni Vatika' (Peepal, Bargad, Neem) will come up. Governor Anandiben Patel was in Barabanki for the plantation drive. Before planting a sapling, Adityanath offered prayers at the Ram Lalla and Hanumangarhi temples in Ayodhya. The chief minister visited the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple, performed aarti and greeted devotees on exiting the premises. He also circumambulated the temple complex to review the progress of the Ram temple construction and offered prayers at the Ram Darbar. For his part, Brajesh Pathak, after planting a sapling, said, "There is no difference between mother and nature. Our mother is nature and nature is our mother." The plantation began at 6 am with geo-tagging of all 5,89,705 plantation sites in 18 divisions of the state. Pictures were clicked at all sites and submitted to the central command centre. A total of 52.43 crore saplings were prepared in nurseries across the state for the mega exercise. At 7 am, over 16.05 lakh saplings were planted. The number increased to 3.52 crore by 8am and reached 4.91 crore at 9am. By 10 am, 7.50 crore saplings were planted. The count reached 12.85 crore saplings by 11am. "This year, we raised the target by two crore saplings," said Arun Kumar Saxena, UP's forest, environment and climate change minister. In 2024, Uttar Pradesh planted 35 crore saplings. Cabinet ministers were leading plantation drives in their respective districts. "Plantation has had a major impact upon ecology in the state. Growth in the number of saplings has not only increased green cover but other indicators too went up," said Deepak Kumar, the state's nodal officer for the plantation campaign. The carbon stock in forests in India went up by 1.13% between 2021 and 2023, said the State of Forest Report by Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, while in Uttar Pradesh this rise was 2.46%, said Kumar, sharing statistics of green growth in the state....