Mega tree plantation drive in four districts on July 12

Varanasi: A mega tree plantation campaign will be organised on July 12 in all the four districts- Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chandauli, and Ghazipur.Ravi Kumar Singh, conservator of forests and regional director, on Thursday reviewed the preparations at a divisional-level meeting.The meeting focused on the role of 27 departments, with discussions covering plantation targets, site selection, sapling availability and post-plantation monitoring.Officials were directed to ensure mandatory geo-tagging of every sapling planted during the campaign so that survival, protection and maintenance can be tracked accurately after the drive.The meeting also explored ways to encourage wider participation by farmers, including the possibility of linking plantation efforts with carbon credit benefits as an additional source of income.Dense plantation models, including the Miyawaki method, were discussed, and the standard operating procedure for such plantations was shared with the departments.Representatives from Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Horticulture, NABARD, NTPC, lead banks, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Banaras Hindu University, Vasanta Mahavidyalaya Rajghat, Banas Dairy and the Forest Department attended the meeting.Minister of state (Independent Charge) for Forest and Environment Arun Kumar Saxena also interacted with officials through video conferencing and reviewed preparations for the plantation drive.