Bhubaneswar, Sept 17: In a historic green initiative to mark the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people of Odisha on Wednesday planted a record-breaking 1,49,11,339 saplings across the state.
The plantation drive, envisioned by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi as a tribute to PM Modi, saw participation from lakhs of citizens and far exceeded the initial target of 75 lakh saplings.
CM Majhi had earlier appealed to the people of Odisha to celebrate the PM Modi’s birthday by planting 75 lakh saplings—a symbolic gesture of gratitude and respect.
However, by 1:33 PM on the day of the campaign, the state had already surpassed the target. By 5 PM, the number had nearly doubled, showcasing the overwhelming public response to the green call.
As per reports, plantation drives were conducted in 71,924 locations across the state, making it one of the largest single-day afforestation efforts in Odisha's history. Citizens from all walks of life came forward to participate, turning the campaign into a massive people’s movement.
Among all districts, Sundargarh emerged as the top performer, planting a whopping 14,21,618 trees. Koraput and Keonjhar followed with 11,01,624 and 10,42,927 saplings respectively.
CM Majhi expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people of Odisha for their enthusiastic participation. He also praised the efforts of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department and all other associated departments for their seamless coordination and execution of the campaign.
