CM Yogi plants sapling in Gorakhpur under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam
Synopsis
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally planted a sapling in Gorakhpur on 12 July 2026 under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, marking his participation in Uttar Pradesh's annual Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 afforestation drive.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath participated in a tree plantation event in Gorakhpur on 12 July 2026 .
The drive falls under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign, which encourages citizens to dedicate a planted tree to their mothers.
The event is part of Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 , the Uttar Pradesh government's annual large-scale afforestation programme running since 2017 .
The campaign is anchored by the slogan Pragati Bhi Prakriti Bhi , framing environmental action as complementary to the state's development push.
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department coordinates the drive across all districts of the state.
The Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh announced on Sunday, 12 July 2026 that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in a tree plantation drive in Gorakhpur as part of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign under the ongoing Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026.
The official post, shared under the hashtags #एक_पेड़_माँ_के_नाम (One Tree in Mother's Name) and #PragatiBhiPrakritiBhi (Progress as well as Nature), confirmed the Chief Minister personally planted a sapling in his home district, lending visible political weight to the annual afforestation programme.
Context
The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign encourages citizens to dedicate a planted tree to their mothers, framing environmental action as a personal and emotional commitment. Gorakhpur, the Chief Minister's political base in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has repeatedly served as a launch or participation site for high-profile state government initiatives. The Chief Minister's direct involvement in the plantation underscores the administration's intent to signal leadership from the top on environmental targets.Policy Backdrop
The Vriksharopan Mahayagya — loosely translated as the 'Great Sacrifice of Tree Plantation' — has been an annual fixture of the Uttar Pradesh government's environmental calendar since 2017, the year Yogi Adityanath first assumed office. Each edition of the drive is organised by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and targets the planting of millions of saplings across the state in a single coordinated effort. The slogan Pragati Bhi Prakriti Bhi — meaning 'both progress and nature' — has become the administration's rhetorical bridge between its infrastructure push and its green commitments, positioning afforestation not as a trade-off against development but as a parallel goal. Similar large-scale plantation campaigns have been undertaken by several Indian state governments since 2019 in pursuit of national green cover targets set under India's climate commitments.Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries of the Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 are local communities and the broader ecosystem of Uttar Pradesh, a state that has faced sustained pressure on green cover owing to its dense population and rapid urbanisation. The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department coordinates logistics across districts, while local residents, schools, and civic bodies are typically mobilised as participants. The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign adds a citizen-engagement layer, seeking to convert a government-led drive into a mass public movement by attaching personal meaning to each sapling planted.What's Next
Attention will now turn to statewide data on the total number of saplings planted under Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 and the survival rates of trees from previous editions, both of which are key indicators of the programme's long-term ecological impact. Any budgetary provisions for forest and green-cover expansion in the next Uttar Pradesh state budget will also be closely watched as a signal of the administration's fiscal commitment to its environmental agenda.Point of View
Reinforcing his image as a hands-on administrator in his own constituency. The pairing of the emotionally resonant Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam framing with the large-scale Mahayagya machinery reflects the Uttar Pradesh government's broader strategy of converting state-run programmes into citizen movements. The slogan Pragati Bhi Prakriti Bhi is also a preemptive counter-narrative to critics who argue that rapid infrastructure expansion in the state comes at an ecological cost. Whether the 2026 edition translates into verifiable, sustained green cover gains will be the real test of the campaign's policy substance beyond its symbolic optics.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign in Uttar Pradesh?
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, meaning 'One Tree in Mother's Name', is a Uttar Pradesh government campaign that encourages people to plant a tree as a tribute to their mothers, combining emotional appeal with the state's afforestation goals.
What is Vriksharopan Mahayagya 2026?
Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026 is the annual large-scale tree plantation programme organised by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, continuing a drive that has been held every year since 2017 targeting the planting of millions of saplings across the state.
Why did CM Yogi Adityanath plant a tree in Gorakhpur?
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the plantation drive in Gorakhpur as part of the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign under Vriksharopan Mahayagya-2026, lending direct leadership visibility to the state's annual afforestation effort in his home district.
What does Pragati Bhi Prakriti Bhi mean?
Pragati Bhi Prakriti Bhi translates to 'both progress and nature', and is the Uttar Pradesh government's official slogan positioning environmental conservation and infrastructure development as complementary rather than competing priorities.
How long has Uttar Pradesh been running the Vriksharopan Mahayagya?
The Vriksharopan Mahayagya has been conducted annually in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, the year Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath first took office, making the 2026 edition the latest in a decade-long series of state-led plantation drives.
