Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the 'Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026' (Grand Tree Plantation Drive 2026) on Sunday, 12 July 2026, in Gorakhpur, planting saplings of the sacred Triveni (three-tree cluster) at the hallowed meditation site of Gorakhnath Math, crediting the initiative to the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event marked the formal beginning of a state-wide afforestation campaign targeting 35 crore sapling plantations across Uttar Pradesh.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter), Chief Minister Adityanath opened with a Sanskrit verse — 'Dashakoopasamaa vaapee dashavaapeesamo hradah, dashhradasamah putro dashputrasamah drumah' — meaning, in essence, that a single tree is worth ten sons in the service of the earth, invoking classical Indian ecological thought to frame the drive's moral urgency. He announced the planting of Triveni saplings at the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, the spiritual seat of the Nath Sampraday tradition, which he described as the sacred tapasthali (meditation ground) of Shivavtari Mahayogi Guru Shri Gorakshnath Ji.

The event also saw the establishment of a 'Vikas Vatika' (Development Garden), the release of a forestry-themed calendar by the Forest Department, and the planting of a Maulshri sapling — a tree of cultural and medicinal significance — to reinforce the 'Harit Uttar Pradesh' (Green Uttar Pradesh) pledge.

Policy Backdrop

Uttar Pradesh has conducted annual large-scale plantation drives since 2017 under the broader Green Uttar Pradesh programme, progressively scaling targets into hundreds of crores of saplings over successive years. These state-level campaigns are aligned with Prime Minister Modi's national afforestation agenda, which ties environmental goals to India's international climate commitments and community mobilisation drives.

The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign — a national initiative urging every citizen to plant at least one tree as a tribute to their mother and to the earth — forms the emotional and civic backbone of this year's drive. Chief Minister Adityanath explicitly called on citizens to participate in the campaign, linking gratitude to one's mother with responsibility toward the planet.

Stakeholders and Impact

At the launch event, beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana — the state's housing scheme for low-income families — were presented with saplings, integrating welfare recipients directly into the environmental effort. Individuals who have played significant roles in the state's Van Avachchadan Abhiyan (Forest Cover Campaign) were also felicitated with cheques, signalling a structured incentive framework for community participation.

By anchoring the launch at Gorakhnath Math, the administration has leveraged one of eastern Uttar Pradesh's most revered spiritual centres to generate grassroots buy-in, a pattern consistent with the state's broader approach of integrating cultural and religious sites into development and environmental programming.

What's Next

The Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 is expected to unfold across all districts of Uttar Pradesh in the coming weeks, with the Forest Department coordinating sapling distribution and plantation drives. Observers will watch for official data on the total area covered, sapling survival rates, and the scale of public participation — metrics that have historically been cited to assess the real-world impact of such campaigns. The drive's success will also serve as a benchmark for the state's contribution to India's national forest and tree cover targets.