Context:
Uttar Pradesh has planted over 240 crore saplings in the past eight years, achieving an impressive overall survival rate of 86.67% for those planted between 2021–22 and 2024–25, according to a report by the state forest department.
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- UP achieved a record-breaking milestone this year by planting over 37.21 crore saplings in a single day on July 9, as part of a Mega plantation drive.
- The report highlights a steady improvement in annual sapling survival rates, rising from 76.87% in 2021–22 to 83.73% in 2022–23 and 90.04% in 2023–24.
- In 2024–25, the survival rate peaked at 96.06%, reflecting effective monitoring efforts and strong community engagement.
- UP has witnessed a remarkable expansion in green cover, adding around 5 lakh acres since 2017.
- Forest and tree cover in the state has increased from 9.18% to nearly 10%.
- Tree cover grew by approximately 2 lakh acres between 2017 and 2021, and by an additional 1.38 lakh acres from 2021 to 2023, totaling nearly 3.38 lakh acres.
- This growth has made Uttar Pradesh the second-leading state in India in terms of green cover expansion.
- The Forest Survey of India (FSI) report from Dehradun notes that by 2023, the tree cover outside designated forest areas in Uttar Pradesh rose by 3.72%, surpassing the national average of 3.41%.