Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, broke a Chinese record by planting more than 2.5 lakh saplings in under an hour at an urban forest. The Guinness World Records officially recognized this achievement. Rishi Nath, the Guinness World Records judge, awarded a certificate to Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal.
The Varanasi Municipal Corporation led the record plantation drive, planting 2,51,446 saplings at the Sujabad-Domri urban forest. This initiative in PM Modi’s constituency saw over 20,000 citizens participating, showcasing remarkable public involvement. The Henan Provincial Committee of China previously held the record for planting the most trees in an hour with 1,53,981 trees in 2018.
Varanasi, also known as Kashi, exceeded the Chinese record through meticulous planning, extensive public engagement, and the use of modern technology. The entire campaign was closely monitored using drone surveillance and a digital counting system. The VMC is developing a vast urban forest named “Namo Van” spanning approximately 350 bighas near the Ganga ghats in the Domari area.
The “Namo Van” project includes planting a total of 3 lakh saplings, comprising 2.5 lakh Miyawaki-method saplings, 10,000 timber trees, and 40,000 fruit-bearing trees. The urban forest will feature amenities like a walking pathway, meditation and yoga plaza, flower park, herbal park, children’s play zone, and open gym plaza. This initiative aims to boost biodiversity, fortify the Ganga riverbank, and enhance ecological equilibrium.
The Varanasi Municipal Corporation anticipates generating an annual revenue of about Rs 2 crore from the third year onwards, potentially increasing to Rs 7 crore by the seventh year. Future plans include establishing a Naturopathy Plaza within the urban forest.
