Across India on 5 June 2025 — World Environment Day — Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders participated in tree plantation drives in their respective constituencies, lending momentum to the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign first launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this day in 2024. The nationwide mobilisation spanned states from Gujarat to West Bengal, with thousands of volunteers joining elected representatives in planting and nurturing saplings.

Key Developments Across States

Union Minister Piyush Goyal planted a sapling at the Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh after offering prayers at the Tirupati Balaji temple, appealing to citizens to sow and nurture plants as a step toward a greener and more resilient India.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated 18 Namo Oxygen Parks in New Delhi and launched a series of environmental initiatives under the campaign. 'The campaign has transformed tree plantation into a people's movement rooted in gratitude, responsibility and environmental consciousness. I urge all citizens not only to plant trees but also to nurture and protect them for future generations,' Yadav said in a post on X.

BJP Member of Parliament Virender Sachdeva planted saplings in Delhi's Mayur Vihar area and urged residents to plant more trees, reduce paper usage, and eliminate single-use plastic.

State-Level Participation

In Gujarat, Minister of State Rivaba Jadeja joined a plantation drive organised jointly by the district administration and forest department near Samarpan Circle, urging citizens to support the campaign and broader environmental conservation efforts.

In Maharashtra, State Minister Girish Mahajan and Nashik Mayor Himagouri Adke participated in a cleanliness drive on the banks of the Nandini River, drawing a turnout of between 10,000 and 15,000 activists and volunteers — one of the largest single-venue mobilisations reported on the day.

In Uttar Pradesh, minority affairs minister Danish Azad Ansari appealed to citizens to mark World Environment Day by joining the campaign. 'On this occasion of World Environment Day, we should all plant a tree in the name of our mother,' he said in a video message.

Eastern India Joins the Drive

In West Bengal, a tree plantation project under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' banner was launched at the Ramakrishna Mission in Asansol. Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul planted a sapling at the Ramakrishna Mission premises and called on citizens to align with the Prime Minister's vision for a cleaner, greener planet.

In Bihar, the BJP state unit deployed party workers and volunteers for a dedicated environment conservation campaign. BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi said every BJP worker would plant a tree under the initiative to expand forest cover in the state.

About the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' Campaign

Prime Minister Modi launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' — literally, 'One Tree in the Name of Mother' — initiative on World Environment Day 2024, framing tree plantation as an act of personal gratitude to one's mother and collective responsibility toward the environment. The campaign has since been adopted by central and state governments, party organisations, and civil society groups as an annual mobilisation framework. This is the second consecutive year of coordinated national drives under the initiative, signalling its institutionalisation within India's environmental policy calendar.

What Comes Next

With the campaign now entering its second year, attention will likely shift to whether sapling survival rates and forest cover data reflect the scale of plantation activity reported on the ground — a metric that past drives have struggled to verify independently. Environment Ministry officials have indicated that follow-up monitoring mechanisms are being strengthened.