LUCKNOW, July 7 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday urged a mass push for the 2025 "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" plantation drive, stressing that "a sapling we nurture today will sustain our lives tomorrow." He also said Uttar Pradesh now ranks second in India in terms of green cover growth. Adityanath was addressing state ministers, MPs, legislators, mayors, district panchayat chairpersons, area panchayat chairpersons, block pramukhs, zila panchayat and block panchayat members, councillors and village heads through two separate video conferences for successful implementation of the mega plantation campaign. Like last year, this time too, the plantation campaign must reach new heights of success through well-planned efforts, he said. Uttar Pradesh is set to create a national record by planting 37 crore saplings on July 9, he said. He emphasised the importance of everyone participating in the plantation campaign to ensure a better environment for future generations. The chief minister noted that forest and mining mafia dominance before 2017 eroded green cover, but eight years of focused action reversed the trend. The state now aims to expand forests further through broad public participation to curb pollution and restore ecological balance, he added. "Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh's forest cover was declining. However, in the past eight years, due to well-planned efforts, the forest cover in the state has increased to 10%," he said. From 2017 to 2024, the state's green cover has seen an increase of 5 lakh acres, he remarked, adding that between 2021 and 2023 alone, forest and tree cover increased by 1.38 lakh acres. Overall from 2017 to 2023, there has been a historic increase of 3.38 lakh acres in green cover, said a press statement by the state government. He voiced concern over the growing impact of climate change, warning that unchecked environmental degradation could lead to more frequent landslides, floods and excessive rainfall. He stressed that protecting Mother Earth requires urgent environmental action, with expanding forest cover in Uttar Pradesh being a key priority. He asked all public representatives to take the lead in the plantation campaign within their respective areas. He also called for carrying out plantations along expressways, highways, inter-state connectivity routes, Amrit Sarovar, river banks, religious places and the roads connecting them. He mentioned that as part of the campaign, the state government is distributing two moringa (sahjan) saplings each to over 60 lakh beneficiary families of the Pradhan Mantri and Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, as well as over 15 lakh families covered under the Zero Poverty Campaign. Moringa, rich in protein and vitamins, is expected to help fight malnutrition. He said Uttar Pradesh has aligned itself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to save the environment and secure the future. He stated that the state is fully committed to turning the PM's vision into reality in mission mode. "As per the resolution taken by Prime Minister Modi, India will be successful in achieving the target of carbon emission to net zero by 2070. The free gas connection given to 10 crore people under the Ujjwala scheme is an effort towards reducing carbon emissions," he said. Urging farmers to plant trees along the boundaries of their fields, he assured that after five years, they would receive financial compensation under the carbon credit program. This year, Rs 42.20 lakh will be paid to thousands of farmers across seven divisions - Devipatan, Ayodhya, Jhansi, Mirzapur, Kanpur, Varanasi and Aligarh. Last year, Rs 32.80 lakh was paid to farmers under this initiative. Emphasising the importance of river restoration, he said, "Just like arteries in the human body, rivers are lifelines for Mother Earth. When Mother Earth is safe, we are safe too." He also directed the ministers that under this campaign, they must visit the districts under their charge....