Coronavirus: Two million people help in socially-distanced mass tree planting in India
Drive is part of country’s efforts to increase forest cover to tackle climate crisis
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Your support makes all the difference.More than two million people have gathered at river banks, farmlands and government buildings in northern India, while trying to practice social distancing, to plant 250 million trees as part of a government plan to tackle the climate crisis.
Officials in Uttar Pradesh distributed millions of saplings to be planted across the state to help India's efforts to increase its forest cover.
The country has pledged to keep a third of its total land area under forest and tree cover, but a growing population and increasing demand for industrial projects are placing greater stress on the land.
Those who gathered for the tree planting on Sunday included politicians, government officials and volunteers from nonprofit organisations.
With India at fourth in the world in coronavirus cases, those who gathered kept their distance from each other.
The country reported 24,850 new virus cases on Sunday - another 24-hour record for the country - raising its total to 673,165, including 19,268 deaths.
"We are committed to increase the forest cover of Uttar Pradesh to over 15 per cent of the total land area in next five years," Yogi Adityanath, the state's chief minister, said in inaugurating the campaign in Lucknow, the state capital.
"In today's campaign, over 20 million trees will be planted at the banks of the Ganges river, which will help in keeping this mighty river clean."
Mr Adityanath added: "India has pledged to increase its forest cover to 235 million acres by 2030, and it starts now."
Other states will also be involved with the drive.
Awanish Awasthi, a government spokesperson for Uttar Pradesh, said the entire plantation drive was being video taped and trees were being tagged so records could be kept.
The long-term survival of trees planted in such mass campaigns remains a concern.
Usually, only 60 per cent of saplings survive, with the rest succumbing to disease or lack of water.
Associated Press
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