Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday, 12 June 2026, announced that his government has planted 20 crore saplings out of a five-year target of 50 crore, and that a campaign to plant an additional 10 crore trees this year is currently under way — framing the effort as the state's commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree in Mother's Name) initiative.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, CM Sharma wrote: 'Aadarniya Pradhanmantri Shri Narendra Modi ji ke sankalp Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ko dhyey banakar Rajasthan nirantar paryavaran sanrakshan ki or agrassar hai' — 'Making the resolve of honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, our guiding goal, Rajasthan is steadily advancing towards environmental protection.' He also appealed directly to farmers and all citizens of the state to participate in what he called a mahayagya — a grand collective offering — for nature, urging every person to plant at least one sapling.

The post was accompanied by a video, indicating a field-level drive is actively being documented and promoted by the state government. The appeal to farmers is notable given that Rajasthan's agrarian communities are among the most directly affected by desertification and erratic rainfall.

Policy Backdrop

Prime Minister Modi launched the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign in 2024, calling on citizens across India to plant trees as a tribute to their mothers, linking environmental action to a personal and emotional commitment. The campaign quickly became a vehicle for state governments to align their own afforestation targets with a centrally driven narrative.

Rajasthan's five-year target of 50 crore plantations sits within India's broader policy architecture of expanding forest and tree cover to meet national climate commitments. Indian states have increasingly adopted quantitative plantation targets as a way to demonstrate measurable environmental progress and coordinate mass public participation in green initiatives.

Stakeholders and Impact

Rajasthan, a largely arid state with significant stretches of the Thar Desert, faces acute environmental pressures including land degradation, water scarcity, and rising temperatures. Large-scale afforestation programmes are seen as a long-term tool to improve soil health, groundwater recharge, and local microclimates — outcomes that directly affect the state's farming communities.

By specifically addressing kisan bhai (farmer brothers), CM Sharma is signalling that the plantation drive is not only an ecological exercise but also an agricultural welfare measure. Agro-forestry and farm-boundary tree planting can provide additional income streams and wind-break benefits to smallholders in the region.

What's Next

With 20 crore of the 50 crore target achieved and a further 10 crore sapling campaign ongoing in the current year, the government's stated trajectory would bring the cumulative total to 30 crore by the end of 2026 — leaving 20 crore to be planted in the remaining years of the five-year window. Official progress reports and survival-rate audits of already-planted saplings will be closely watched to assess whether the programme is translating into durable green cover.

The broader implication is that Rajasthan is positioning itself as a model state for implementing central environmental mandates, with mass-participation campaigns likely to intensify ahead of any national-level review of India's afforestation commitments under its climate pledges.