Haryana targets 1.4 crore trees under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam in 2026-27
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Haryana has set a target of 1.4 crore tree plantations for 2026-27 under the national Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, reinforcing the state's push to improve forest cover amid semi-arid conditions and groundwater stress.
Key Takeaways
1 crore 40 lakh trees are targeted for plantation in Haryana during 2026-27 under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign.
The campaign was launched nationally in 2024 as a citizen-driven afforestation initiative encouraging people to plant a tree in their mother's name.
Haryana faces historically low forest cover relative to India's National Forest Policy target of 33 percent tree and forest cover.
The state's semi-arid conditions and groundwater depletion make plantation drives a key environmental intervention.
Survival audits by the Haryana forest department will be the true measure of whether the planting target translates into lasting green cover.
A state with semi-arid stretches and groundwater stress just put a number on its green ambitions: 1.4 crore trees to be planted across Haryana in 2026-27 under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign. The Chief Minister's Office of Haryana announced the target on 7 August 2026, signalling the state's commitment to the nationally-driven afforestation push.
What Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam asks of citizens
Launched at the national level in 2024, the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ('One Tree in Mother's Name') campaign is built on a simple emotional hook — plant a tree as a tribute to your mother. The design is deliberate: citizen participation drives scale in a way that government machinery alone cannot. Haryana's 1 crore 40 lakh target for the current fiscal year translates that sentiment into a measurable state obligation.
Why Haryana's tree cover numbers matter
India's National Forest Policy sets an aspirational benchmark of 33 percent forest and tree cover. Haryana, with its predominantly agricultural landscape and semi-arid pockets, has historically struggled to approach that figure. Groundwater depletion adds urgency — tree cover and soil moisture are tightly linked, and plantation drives are one lever states can pull. The campaign also feeds into India's international climate commitments to expand carbon sinks through voluntary public action.
The accountability question: survival audits ahead
Planting targets are only as meaningful as the trees that survive. The real test for Haryana's forest department will come in mid-year and end-of-season survival audits — the metric that separates genuine green cover gains from headline numbers. Whether the state publishes those achievement reports will determine how seriously this 1.4 crore figure is taken beyond the campaign cycle.
Fourteen million trees, one year, one state — and a national campaign betting that personal sentiment can do what policy mandates often cannot.
Point of View
The stakes go beyond optics: semi-arid soil degradation and a deepening groundwater crisis make afforestation a genuine resilience lever, not just a climate-commitment checkbox. The campaign's emotional architecture — planting for one's mother — is a studied attempt to sustain participation beyond a single drive. The credibility test, however, will be whether survival data is made public, distinguishing durable policy from seasonal headline-making.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign?
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, meaning 'One Tree in Mother's Name', is a national afforestation campaign launched in 2024 that encourages citizens to plant a tree as a tribute to their mothers, aiming to boost India's forest and tree cover through public participation.
How many trees is Haryana planning to plant in 2026-27?
Haryana has set a target of 1 crore 40 lakh (1.4 crore) trees to be planted during the 2026-27 fiscal year under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign.
Why does Haryana need more tree plantation drives?
Haryana has historically low forest cover compared to India's National Forest Policy target of 33 percent. The state also faces semi-arid conditions and severe groundwater depletion, making afforestation critical for ecological and agricultural stability.
Who launched the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative?
The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign was launched at the national level in 2024 as a citizen-driven afforestation effort, with individual states like Haryana setting their own annual plantation targets under the scheme.
How will Haryana verify its tree plantation targets are met?
The Haryana forest department is expected to conduct mid-year and end-of-season survival audits to assess how many planted trees have survived, which is the key metric for evaluating the real impact of the campaign.
