World Environment Day 2025: Odisha CM announces to plant 7.5 crore trees in a year

Bhubaneswar, June 5: On occasion of World Environment Day 2025 today, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the state government will plant 7.5 crore trees in a year.

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CM Majhi made the announcement while attending a grand function at OUAT Krushi Shiksha Sadan in Bhubaneswar, marking the state level celebration of World Environment Day.

In his address, CM Majhi said that this day is meant to raise awareness about protecting the environment and fighting climate change. He said pollution is a serious threat, and it’s now more important than ever to make the world greener and protect nature. 

He added that the actions we take today to care for the environment can help future generations live healthier lives in a simple and easy way.

Plastic has become an indispensable part of our lives, especially single-use plastic. Today, the excessive use of plastic has emerged as a major problem, namely climate change, degradation and pollution of water, land and biodiversity, and waste. In this context, CM Majhi said that plastic waste should be a mass movement.

Our government has also started the ‘State Clean Air Programme’. This will reduce air pollution in densely populated urban areas and improve air quality in the atmosphere. The State Pollution Control Board is also ready for this. Our government has taken active steps to ban single-use plastic and promote its long-lasting alternatives and strengthen waste management systems. To bring about real change in the society, it must first start with oneself and one's own family. The state government has made this campaign a success by planting more than 6.5 crore trees under the 'Ek Peed Maa' Ke Naam' campaign, he said.

He further said that since our government came to power, there has been a net increase of about 560 sq km in forest and tree cover, which is the fourth highest among all the states. The public and several institutions have created a record by planting more than 2 crore saplings. Similipal has been officially recognized as the 107th National Park by the Government of India. The state government has launched a new initiative for the conservation and protection of wildlife and plants through the ‘Aam Similipal’ scheme, with an expenditure of Rs 50 crore, he added.

In conclusion, CM Majhi said that he congratulated the institutions and individuals who have received 185 ‘Prakriti Mitra’ and 211 ‘Prakriti Bandhu’ awards from various districts of the state for their outstanding work in the field of environmental protection and conservation. I am sure that their work will be a source of inspiration for others. I congratulate all the participants and winners of the state-wide Eco-Model Exhibition on "Ending Plastic Pollution". I congratulate the schools and teachers who won the Best Eco Club Award from Odisha for their dedication and commitment. 

Similarly, I congratulate various industrial institutions and organizations related to environmental control who have made efforts to create awareness through exhibitions, he added.

Today we will take a resolution to end plastic pollution and maintain a healthy and clean environment for our citizens. I wish you all the effort, dedication and sincerity in this direction. A healthy society requires a healthy environment and the Chief Minister appealed to the people at this function to create awareness among the people about the environment, said CM Majhi.

At the beginning of the program, the Chief Minister along with the Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Shri Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, conducted a test planting at the Krishi Shiksha Sadan under the 'Ek Peed Maa Ke Naam' program and visited the exhibition on Environment Day organized by students from different districts of the state, he added.