BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, called for a large-scale tree plantation campaign to address climate change, posting from Hamirpur, his parliamentary constituency in Himachal Pradesh. Thakur highlighted rapidly melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and shifting monsoon patterns as clear warning signs of an accelerating climate crisis.

Context

In his post, Thakur wrote: 'वृक्ष लगाएँ, धरा बचाएँ' ('Plant trees, save the earth'), framing afforestation as an urgent collective responsibility. He stated that climate change has emerged as a 'major challenge before the entire world' and that 'active participation of every citizen is extremely important' for protecting nature.

The call comes from a constituency situated in the Himalayan foothills, a region among the most visibly affected by glacial retreat and erratic rainfall in India. Hamirpur residents have witnessed first-hand the consequences of ecological disruption that Thakur described.

Policy Backdrop

India's commitment to afforestation has a formal policy lineage stretching back to the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), which included the National Mission for a Green India aimed at expanding and restoring forest cover. More recently, India's updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement in 2022 set a target of creating an additional carbon sink through afforestation by 2030.

India has also committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, with increased forest and tree cover forming a central pillar of that long-term strategy. Large-scale plantation campaigns at both central and state levels have been a recurring instrument toward meeting these targets.

Stakeholders and Impact

The appeal is directed at ordinary citizens, urging individual action alongside government-led programmes. For Himachal Pradesh specifically, the stakes are high: the state's Himalayan glaciers feed rivers that supply water to millions across northern India, and their accelerated melting poses risks to agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water security.

Monsoon variability — another concern Thakur flagged — affects crop cycles for farmers across the state and the broader Indo-Gangetic plain. Sustained afforestation is widely recognised by ecologists as one of the most cost-effective tools for stabilising local microclimates and reducing soil erosion in hilly terrain.

What's Next

State and central governments typically intensify plantation drives during the monsoon season (July–September), when soil conditions are optimal for saplings to take root. Thakur's post signals early political momentum for such drives in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the monsoon window.

Progress on national afforestation goals will also come under scrutiny as India prepares its positions for upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) climate negotiations. Constituency-level calls like this one from elected representatives contribute to building public pressure and local participation in meeting India's international climate commitments.