UP gears up for plantation record today

The forest department’s plantation drive , aimed at making a record to plant 5 crore saplings in 24 hours across 6166 locations in the state on Monday, will start at 10 am .

Former chief minister and Samajwadi party president Mulayam Singh will plant saplings in Kukrail forest area at 10 am. This time carbon credits will also be counted post plantation.

The state has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for planting the maximum number of saplings (10 lakh saplings on November 7, 2015) in 10 locations in one day and is again pitching for planting 5 crore saplings in 24 hours.

About 8 to 10 lakh labourers will be engaged in the entire process. The total plantation, however, is aimed at 6 crore for this season. One crore saplings will be planted in phases once the record plantation is over.

This year, the plantation drive under ‘Clean UP Green UP’ campaign will account for carbon credits too. Carbon credits can be claimed via plantations as they are greenhouse depositories.

Carbon credits are one way that companies or individuals can reduce their impact on the environment.

So, TERI will evaluate the carbon credits for the state, both prior to the plantation exercise as well as after it. This move will put the state ahead of other states along with the record plantation of saplings.

For the sake of the record, the entire process will not only be monitored real time but even pre-plantation, during plantation and post plantation process will be captured with still camera, videography and GPRS images. Guinness World Records representatives and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) will monitor the drive.

Also for the first time, temporary toilets have been set up at all places in the state where the drive would take place.

LUCKNOW: