Keeping to the state government’s target of planting six crore saplings on a single day in July across Uttar Pradesh to create a world record, forest officials of Bareilly and Moradabad divisions have started identifying spots in the region where the saplings can be planted. The state government is yet to decide the date in July on which saplings will be planted. The UP government had created a world record in 2007 by planting one crore trees in a single day but now it aims to better its own record.

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The saplings will be planted at highways, forest blocks, nurseries, roads, near Railway lines and canals. “The saplings will be planted at every vacant spot we identify. This will be done with the help of our staff, NGOs, social organizations and schools,” said Chief Forest Conservator of Bareilly and Moradabad zones, MP Singh. The forest department has already dug more than 450 pits in Bareilly and Moradabad for planting trees and are in the process of identifying other sites. For planting 44.90 lakh trees in Rohilkhand, forest department plans to draw budget for the project from various schemes, including MNREGA, district plan and forest corporations. Among the species of trees that have been identified for mass plantation in July are North Indian Rosewood (Seesham), Teak, Banyan, Pakar, Persian Silk tree (Pink Siris), Tamarind, Gum Arabic tree (Babul), Aegle Marmelos (Bael), Arjuna, Syzygium Cumini (Jamun), Golden Shower Tree and Azadirachta Indica (Neem).

“Weather and soil conditions will be considered while planting trees,” said Dharam Singh, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Bareilly, in a report in The Times Of India. In Bareilly division, the highest number of saplings will be planted in Shahjahanpur with 7.75 lakh. Followed by Badaun with 7.22 lakh, Bareilly with 3.18 lakh, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve with 2.35 lakh and Social forestry division of Pilibhit with 1 lakh. While in Moradabad division, 6.80 lakh trees will be planted in Amroha and remaining areas- Nazibabad, Rampur, Bijnor, Moradabad and Sambhal- will plant 6 lakh, 3.60 lakh, 3.20 lakh, 2.40 lakh and 1.40 lakh saplings respectively.

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