Raipur . ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign is a mega tree plantation campaign run by the Forest Department in Chhattisgarh. In this campaign, saplings are being planted in forest and non-forest areas in the state. This campaign in the country was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of World Environment Day on 5 June 2024. PM Modi had said in his address that the most precious relationship in the world is that of a mother. Mother’s status is the highest in all our lives. Mother nurtures her child by enduring every pain. Every mother showers every affection on her child. This love of the mother who gave birth is like a debt on all of us which no one can repay. PM Modi further said, this year a special campaign has been started on World Environment Day. The name of this campaign is – Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam. I have also planted a tree in the name of my mother.. I have appealed to all the countrymen and the people of all the countries of the world to plant a tree together with their mother or in her name. I am very happ
y to see that the campaign of planting trees in the memory of mother or in her honour is progressing rapidly.
On the call of Prime Minister Modi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai accelerated this campaign. Under this campaign, programs were organized at village and panchayat level in all the districts of the state. The plantation sites were named after local deities. The beneficiaries of Mahtari Vandan Yojana were encouraged to plant trees by giving them free saplings. Seeds of plants were given to school children. Under this campaign, fruit plants like jackfruit, pomegranate, jamun, plum, tendu, custard apple, mango, vine, mulberry and Ganga tamarind were planted across the state. Apart from this, medicinal plants like Harra, Putranjiva, Amla, Neem, Reetha, Chitrak, Kala Siras and Baheda etc. were planted under this campaign. Shady species of trees were planted in the urban areas of the state, which include banyan, peepal, maulshree, kadam, peltaform, gulmohar, karanja, Ashok and Arjun trees. The state government has set a target of planting 140 crore trees by March 2025. Under this campaign, a profile picture frame campaign is also being run to make people aware about environmental protection.
In Chhattisgarh, which is rich in biodiversity, under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Mahavriksharopan Abhiyan, the Forest Department is to plant 3.85 crore saplings in forest and non-forest areas. CM Vishnudev Sai wants to develop the state along with protecting nature, in this connection, ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan’ was organized on July 11 at the Biodiversity Park located in Atal Nagar Nava Raipur. On this occasion, CM Sai released the banner of the Forest Department and said that four crore saplings will be planted in the state under this Maha Abhiyan. On this occasion, many ministers and guests including CM Sai planted saplings with their own hands.
In the Biodiversity Park of Nava Raipur, CM Vishnudev Sai planted a Peepal tree with full rituals and appealed to the people of the state that everyone must plant a tree in the name of their mother. On the first day of the scheme, 6 lakh saplings were planted in 33 districts of Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai had said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to 140 crore people of the country to plant a tree in the name of their mother. PM Modi’s appeal has taken the form of a movement. This year alone the Forest Department is going to plant four crore saplings. Peepal tree gives oxygen 24 hours a day and under this campaign, medicinal plants like Harr, Baheda, Amla are also being planted. It is very important that everyone plant trees together”. After the Chief Minister started this campaign, a program named Ek Ped Maa was organized in all the districts of the state, which brought very positive results.
After starting the tree plantation campaign in Nava Raipur, CM Vishnudev Sai also planted trees in other district headquarters from time to time under this campaign. During his stay in Dantewada, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai planted a Kesar mango sapling in the Circuit House premises under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign. During this, Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh planted a mango tree, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap planted a coconut tree, MP Bastar Mahesh Kashyap planted an almond and MLA Chaitram Atami planted a jackfruit tree. Under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, plantations are being done continuously, in this sequence, more than 12 lakh saplings have been planted in Dantewada district so far.
On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the instructions of the Chief Minister of the state Vishnudev Sai, tree plantation work is being done in the entire state on the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. In this connection, Revenue Minister Tankaram Verma planted a Peepal tree under the ‘Ek Ped Apni Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan’ in the presence of Vice President Chhattisgarh Scout and Guide Vijay Kesarwani and other local public representatives at Government ITI Sakri and also appealed to all the students to plant a tree in the name of mother to connect with environmental protection. Verma had said that “The call of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ will increase the connection of students with the environment. Everyone will plant a tree in the name of mother and will also maintain it with great responsibility. All students must plant shady trees like Neem, Gulmohar, Karanj, Ashok, Arjun etc. in the campus. “
Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan’, tree plantation was done at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office Ambikapur under the leadership of Divisional Commissioner GR Churendra. The Divisional Commissioner planted a sapling and gave the message of preserving the environment and said that “Trees are essential for environmental balance. Therefore, by planting saplings yourself, inspire the people around you and keep taking better care of them”. Similarly, in the tree plantation program for Matri-Chhaya Upvan in the premises of Punjipathra police station of Raigarh district, Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai planted a tree under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. Chief Minister Sai planted a Peepal tree in honor of the mother. In the program, the Chief Minister planted a Peepal tree and gave the message of preserving the environment. The objective of this initiative is to honor motherhood along with environmental protection. On this occasion, Agriculture and In-charge Minister Ramvichar Netam planted Peepal, Finance Minister OP Choudhary planted Peepal, Rajya Sabha MP Devendra Pratap Singh planted Sandalwood, MP Radhe Shyam Rathia planted Sandalwood. Chief Forest Conservator Prabhat Mishra, Divisional Commissioner Bilaspur Mahadev Kavre, IG Sanjeev Shukla, Collector Kartikeya Goyal, Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel and local public representatives, school children planted more than 800 saplings for the Matri Chaya Upvan. Tree plantation is being done across the state under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, in which every citizen is being encouraged to plant a sapling in the name of his mother.
Bhim Singh, Secretary-in-charge of Kondagaon district, also planted saplings under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ program. He gave the message of greenery and environmental conservation in the district by planting saplings. He said that “planting will not only strengthen environmental conservation but will also provide a clean and green environment to future generations”. In this sequence, after the meeting of the Bastar Dussehra Committee, a special initiative was started to compensate for the trees cut for the construction of the holy Dussehra chariot. A total of 251 saplings were planted in the Nakati Semra forest area of Machkot Range, each of which is dedicated to the deities of Bastar under the theme ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’. This unique theme reflects the deep cultural and religious connection of the region. ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan’ is also reflecting the community’s commitment to environmental conservation while honoring the rich traditions of the Dussehra festival of Bastar. This initiative also reflects the integration of cultural heritage with environmental conservation by linking trees with local deities. Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade and Janjgir MP Kamlesh Jagade also planted an almond sapling under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan” in the collectorate office premises of Sakti district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also appealed to the people of the country to plant ‘one tree in the name of mother’ in the Mann Ki Baat program, which had a wide impact in the state. CM Sai had instructed Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap to continuously monitor this campaign as per the wishes of Prime Minister Modi. The Forest Minister keeps taking information from time to time about the target of plantation being done in the forest divisions and the plantation done so far, which is showing positive results. A target of planting more than 3 crore 95 lakh 85 thousand saplings was set under various schemes in the state, which has been completed with wide public participation by the end of July.
Forest department officials informed that a target of planting 308450 saplings was set under 535.48 hectares and 57 km roadside plantation under Jagdalpur circle. 323913 saplings were set to be planted in 291.74 hectares and 2 km roadside plantation under Raipur forest circle. 158804 saplings were to be planted in 220.74 hectares under Kanker forest circle, 5053370 saplings were to be planted in 4942.44 hectares and 21 km roadside plantation under Surguja forest circle, 142468 saplings were to be planted in 167.55 hectares under Durg forest circle, 454159 saplings were to be planted in 520.05 hectares and 04 km roadside plantation under Bilaspur forest circle. Under the Kisan Vriksha Mitra Yojana, 2 crore
82 lakh 35 thousand 894 plants were planted by farmers on their land.
Under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, Tribal Development Minister Ramvichar Netam planted a sapling in Sanaval Mahavidyalaya under the development block Ramchandrapur during his stay in Balrampur. The minister planted mango, peepal, banyan, neem, Malabar neem, litchi, teak and pear saplings in the name of the mother in the college. During this, Assistant Director Garden, Deputy Director Agriculture, Forest Department, Principal and other local public representatives also contributed to environmental protection by planting trees. Commerce, Industry and Labor Minister Lakhan Lal Devangan planted an Amla sapling in the memory of his mother late Smt. Sonakunwar Devangan under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan’ in the Shiv Mandir premises located in Ward No. 16 Charpara Kohadia of Korba. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma planted a neem sapling in Thakur Pyarelal Panchayat and Rural Development Institute, Nimora Raipur. Various types of fruit and shade trees were planted by Niharika Barik Singh, Secretary Rajesh Singh Rana, Director Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin Rajat Bansal and other officers and employees.
In the Van Mahotsav program organized under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ in the premises of the Manendragarh District Collector Office, Cabinet Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal inaugurated the Van Mahotsav by cutting the ribbon by planting saplings in the premises through the Miyawaki method. Divisional Forest Officer Manish Kashyap, while explaining the Miyawaki method, said that “by using this method, the empty spaces (backyards) around the houses can be converted into small gardens or forests. Governor Shri Ramen Deka, during his stay in Durg, planted a Kachnar sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign in Krishna Kunj located in Titurdih. On this occasion, MLA Gajendra Yadav also planted a Jamun sapling.
In Chhattisgarh, famous for its natural beauty and dense forests, a unique tree plantation campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ is moving towards achieving new heights of success under the guidance of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai. The aim of this campaign is to protect the environment as well as to honour motherhood and make the green landscape more green. Under this campaign, every person is being motivated to plant a tree in honour of his mother. There is a deep emotional element behind this idea, which symbolises the invaluable contribution of the mother.
