UP attempts to enter Guinness Book by planting 1 crore saplings

Lucknow, July 31 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh today attempted to enter the Guinness Book of Records by planting 1 crore saplings on a single day.

A total of 9,320 sites across the state saw politicians, bureaucrats, students, NGO representative and farmers planting saplings. Though all the 70 districts of the state were to be covered in the unique event, floods in east UP forced the authorities leave the marooned areas from the plantation drive.

Chief Minister Mayawati was one of the first VVIPs to plant a sapling. She preferred a neem sapling to be planted at her residence this morning. Yesterday, she had requested the common man to plant as many saplings as possible in support of the 'vriksharopan karyakarm'.

At present, Tamil Nadu holds the world record of planting 852,587 saplings planted at over 6000 locations in three days in 2006.

Despite government's all out efforts, hiccups remained till the last hours as several saplings were damaged following heavy rains in eastern parts of the state. In Shravasti district alone, 15,000 saplings were damaged. Officials said, since the number of districts where the plantation drive took place have decreased due to floods, the number of saplings to be planted in the rest of the districts have been accordingly increased.

While several government schools were to initially receive saplings from the forest and horticulture departments, principals had to finally arrange for them on their own.

Principal secretary (Forests) V N Garg said the Guinness Book of Records had been notified of the world record attempt. ''Photographs would be taken at the each of the plantation sites...the plantation would be independently verified by two observers,'' he said.

Four months from now, the government agencies will carry out a physical verification to ascertain the condition of the saplings planted today.

UNI