Green Bengaluru drive: BJP targets Shivakumar over ₹54 crore sapling failure
Synopsis
Karnataka BJP has turned a Guinness World Record into a political liability for CM Shivakumar. The ₹54 crore 'Green Bengaluru' drive planted 15 lakh saplings in 12 hours — but the opposition now claims thousands have dried up, and is demanding accountability for maintenance funds and contractor lapses.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka BJP on 8 July alleged that the ₹54 crore 'Green Bengaluru' plantation drive has failed due to poor maintenance.
Leader of Opposition R.
Ashoka released photographs purportedly showing dried-up saplings dumped near drains without adequate watering.
The drive, led by Chief Minister D.K.
Shivakumar on 27 June , planted 15 lakh saplings in 12 hours and earned a Guinness World Records title.
BJP demanded disclosure of maintenance fund utilisation, identification of the responsible contractor, and fixed accountability.
The Karnataka government had not responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 8 July launched a pointed attack on the state's Congress government, alleging that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's flagship ₹54 crore 'Green Bengaluru' plantation initiative has collapsed due to poor post-launch maintenance, with thousands of saplings reportedly drying up and dying across the city.
What the BJP Alleged
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, released photographs purportedly showing dried-up and dead saplings, accusing the Congress government of prioritising publicity over implementation. Ashoka alleged that while crores of rupees were channelled into the plantation campaign, advertisements, press conferences, and promotional videos, the saplings were left unattended after the project's launch.
He further claimed that many saplings had been dumped near drains without adequate watering or care, resulting in their death. Ashoka accused Chief Minister Shivakumar of treating governance as a 'photo opportunity' rather than ensuring effective execution of development projects.
Background: The Record-Setting Drive
The 'Green Bengaluru' campaign was spearheaded by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on 27 June, coinciding with the 517th birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. The drive successfully planted 15 lakh saplings in just 12 hours, earning an official Guinness World Records title. The initiative was framed as a direct response to Bengaluru's worsening Urban Heat Island effect, a growing concern for India's technology capital.
BJP's Accountability Demands
Ashoka questioned how the Congress government could be trusted with major infrastructure projects if it had allegedly failed to maintain a tree plantation programme. He also criticised the broader Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the party speaks of environmental protection and good governance while failing to implement its own initiatives in Karnataka.
The BJP demanded that the state government disclose how funds earmarked for sapling maintenance were utilised, identify the contractor responsible for the alleged lapse, and fix accountability for the reported failure of the drive.
Government Response
As of the time of reporting, the Karnataka government had not responded to the BJP's allegations. The absence of an official rebuttal has allowed the opposition's narrative to go unchallenged in the immediate news cycle. Whether the government addresses the maintenance lapses or disputes the photographic evidence presented by Ashoka will likely shape the next phase of this political controversy.
Point of View
But urban greening lives or dies in the weeks after the cameras leave — with irrigation, soil preparation, and contractor accountability. The BJP's move to weaponise the Guinness record against the government is tactically sharp; it turns a Congress success story into evidence of style-over-substance governance. The Congress, by not responding promptly, has ceded the narrative. The deeper question — whether the maintenance budget was ever adequate for 15 lakh saplings across a sprawling metro — is one neither side has yet answered publicly.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Green Bengaluru plantation drive?
The Green Bengaluru drive is a ₹54 crore urban greening initiative led by Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, which planted 15 lakh saplings across Bengaluru in 12 hours on 27 June, earning a Guinness World Records title. It was aimed at combating the city's Urban Heat Island effect.
Why is the BJP criticising the Green Bengaluru drive?
The BJP alleges that thousands of saplings planted under the ₹54 crore scheme have dried up due to poor maintenance after the launch event. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka shared photographs of reportedly dead saplings and accused the Congress government of spending heavily on publicity while neglecting implementation.
What has the BJP demanded from the Karnataka government?
The BJP has demanded that the state government disclose how maintenance funds were utilised, identify the contractor responsible for the alleged lapse, and fix accountability for the reported failure of the plantation drive.
Has the Karnataka government responded to the BJP's allegations?
As of 8 July, the Karnataka government had not issued any response to the BJP's allegations regarding the reported failure of the Green Bengaluru sapling maintenance.
When did the Green Bengaluru drive take place and what record did it set?
The drive took place on 27 June, coinciding with the 517th birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. It planted 15 lakh saplings in 12 hours, officially securing a Guinness World Records title.
