2 Million People Plant 20 Million Trees

A recent planting was carried out by 2 million residents of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, including both volunteers, government workers, nonprofit workers, and even lawmakers too. And these 2 million residents planted a shocking 20 million trees! Don’t worry, they all made sure to keep a safe and healthy distance from one another and were also sure to wear masks while together planting.  And despite lockdowns and restrictions imposed not only in India, but also across the globe, the threat wasn’t quite enough to stop it’s residents from putting together a massive tree-planting project along the banks of the Ganges river. 

These efforts were part of a pledge that was made to provide shade for one third of the nation by the year 2030 by covering it with trees. While a third might not sound like very much at first, a third of the area would actually be an impressive 235 million acres, which is the size of both New Mexico and Texas combined (for a reference point of how incredibly large the land is).   Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of the state has shared that they are dedicated to the cause – and aim to cover more than 15% of Uttar Pradesh in the next five years. 

By planting the 20 million trees on the banks of the Ganges river, it can help keep the beloved river much more clean.  Many other nations have also set similar goals with a deadline set for 2030 to achieve them, and these massive tree planting events are known to be a simple and affordable way to draw carbon from the atmosphere.  During these massive planting efforts, it’s not certain that every single will survive, but it’s believed to be a much better method compared to others and a way to help bring damaged land back to it’s healthy self.