Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has highlighted the importance of planting 100 million saplings in the upcoming monsoon season as part of the ‘Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan’ project. During a review meeting, Sharma instructed officials to create a detailed action plan and ensure effective monitoring of the plantation efforts. The initiative aims to make Rajasthan a greener state through coordinated departmental efforts.
The plantation campaign is scheduled to kick off on World Environment Day, June 5, and will intensify during the monsoon months of July, August, and September. Sharma emphasized the need for early preparations such as site selection, fencing, and pit digging. He also called for collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure the success of the project.
To enhance implementation, the Chief Minister urged the Revenue Department to assist in identifying suitable land for planting and proposed working with Indian Railways to utilize railway land for plantation activities. Additionally, the Public Works Department has been tasked with developing district-specific plans for planting along major roads and pasture lands.
Sharma stressed the importance of aligning plantation activities with soil suitability and highlighted the significance of Goolar trees in the mission. He suggested leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for maintenance support, including water tanker arrangements for saplings at Forest Guard offices. The involvement of ‘Vrikshamitras’ (Tree Friends) was also encouraged to boost participation.
Under the ‘Chief Minister’s Mega Tree Plantation Campaign’, fruit-bearing saplings will be distributed free of cost to farmers. Sharma directed the Minister of State for Forests and Environment to inspect proposed sandalwood forest sites in Udaipur, Sirohi, and Banswara, ensuring necessary arrangements are in place.
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of plantation in hilly, forest, and wildlife sanctuary areas, including utilizing drone seeding techniques. He also called for the establishment of a ‘Namo Nursery’ in each district as a priority and outlined plans to develop ‘Namo Vans’ in every Panchayat Samiti in a phased manner.
‘Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan’ aims to plant 50 crore saplings between 2024 and 2028. In 2024, over 7 crore saplings were planted against a target of 7 crore, while in 2025, more than 11.74 crore saplings were planted surpassing the 10 crore target. The meeting was attended by various officials, including Minister of State for Forests and Environment (Independent Charge) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Secretary V. Srinivas who joined via video conference.
