MP CM Mohan Yadav launches 11-lakh tree drive in Jabalpur
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
In the city that once belonged to the warrior queen Rani Durgavati, Madhya Pradesh launched a single-day plantation blitz on Saturday, 1 August 2026 — planting 11 lakh saplings in Jabalpur and signalling the state's most ambitious green push yet. The Chief Minister's Office of Madhya Pradesh announced the drive as a landmark step toward a greener future.
Rani Durgavati's city as the stage for a green milestone
Jabalpur, steeped in the legacy of the 16th-century Gond queen Rani Durgavati, was chosen as the backdrop for the event — a choice that carries unmistakable symbolic weight. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav framed the drive as an expression of collective resolve, stating that the historic campaign of 11 lakh plantations in the city of Rani Durgavati 'hare bhavishya ke hamare sankalp ko nayi urja dega' ('will give new energy to our resolve for a green future').
Inside the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign
The plantation event falls under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign — launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day 2024 to encourage every Indian to plant a tree as a tribute to their mother. The campaign has since become a vehicle for states to contribute to a national afforestation target of 25 crore plantations. Madhya Pradesh has positioned itself as a key contributor to that national count, with today's Jabalpur drive adding a significant block to the tally.
The Miyawaki method: dense forests, fast results
What sets this drive apart is the technique: the saplings will be developed using the Miyawaki method, a Japanese dense-plantation approach that creates multi-layered, self-sustaining mini-forests in a fraction of the time conventional afforestation takes. Trees planted using this technique grow up to ten times faster than normal and produce significantly denser canopy cover, making it a favoured tool for urban greening. The choice of Miyawaki signals that Madhya Pradesh is not just chasing numbers — it is betting on ecological quality as well.
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the state's Environment Department are co-executing the campaign on the ground, with Jabalpur residents participating alongside officials.
Whether survival rates hold through the post-monsoon months — the true test of any plantation drive — will determine how much of this green ambition converts into lasting forest cover.