Shivraj plants sapling at Bhopal Smart City Park, urges daily tree-planting
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling at Bhopal's Smart City Park on 31 May 2026, continuing his daily tree-planting pledge. He launched the 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' enrolment campaign via a missed-call number, urging citizens to join India's afforestation push ahead of the monsoon season.
Key Takeaways
Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling at Smart City Park, Bhopal on 31 May 2026 as part of a daily tree-planting resolve.
Citizens can enrol as a 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' by giving a missed call to 8929629475 — no internet or app required.
The event was held at a park developed under the Smart Cities Mission , linking personal initiative to central urban-greening policy.
Madhya Pradesh is among India's most forested states and recorded high plantation numbers during Chouhan's four chief ministerial terms from 2005 to 2018 .
The campaign aligns with India's target to raise forest and tree cover to 33 per cent of geographical area and its 2070 net-zero climate commitment.
The #OnePlantADay drive is timed ahead of the June-July monsoon season, the peak period for plantation activity across India.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling alongside environment enthusiasts at the Smart City Park in Bhopal on Sunday, 31 May 2026, reaffirming his personal pledge to plant at least one tree every day and calling on citizens to join a mass afforestation initiative called 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' (Shiv Tree Friend).
Context
Posting on X, Chouhan wrote: 'Pratideen paudharopan ke sankalp ke kram mein aaj Bhopal sthit Smart City Park mein paryavaran premiyon ke saath paudha ropa.' ('In continuation of my resolve to plant a tree every day, I planted a sapling today at Smart City Park in Bhopal, along with environment lovers.')
He urged followers: 'I also request you to plant trees for the conservation and promotion of nature. Let us together take a pledge to save nature.' Citizens can enrol as a 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' by giving a missed call to 8929629475, a low-barrier mechanism designed to reach mobile users across rural and urban India.
Policy Backdrop
Bhopal is one of the cities selected under the Smart Cities Mission, the 2015 central programme to upgrade 100 urban centres with sustainable infrastructure, including green spaces. The plantation event at the Smart City Park directly links Chouhan's personal campaign to that broader urban-greening framework.
India's Green India Mission, approved under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, targets the expansion of forest and tree cover as part of the country's commitment to raise such cover to 33 per cent of its geographical area. The National Afforestation Programme, operational since 2000, supports decentralised forest regeneration across states. Madhya Pradesh, one of India's most forested states, recorded consistently high annual plantation numbers during Chouhan's four terms as Chief Minister between 2005 and 2018.
The annual Van Mahotsav tree-planting festival, institutionalised in 1950, remains the oldest public-participation afforestation tradition in India, providing the cultural template that campaigns like #OnePlantADay build upon.
Stakeholders and Impact
The missed-call enrolment model lowers the participation barrier significantly, requiring no smartphone app or internet access — a deliberate design choice that could draw in farmers, rural youth, and senior citizens alongside urban environment volunteers.
For Madhya Pradesh, where agriculture and forest-based livelihoods are intertwined, a sustained plantation drive carries both ecological and economic implications: improved groundwater recharge, reduced soil erosion, and potential carbon sequestration credits under India's updated Nationally Determined Contributions submitted as part of its 2070 net-zero climate pledge.
What's Next
The scale of enrolment through the 8929629475 missed-call number and any formal integration of the 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' campaign with state or central monsoon plantation targets for 2026-27 will determine whether the initiative moves beyond a personal pledge into a structured afforestation programme.
With the monsoon season approaching, plantation drives typically intensify across India in June and July, and Chouhan's daily public tree-planting activity positions the campaign to gain visibility at the most ecologically opportune moment of the year.
Point of View
And its deployment here suggests the 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' initiative may evolve into a structured volunteer network ahead of state or national electoral cycles. Framed against India's climate commitments and the Green India Mission, the campaign also allows the BJP to demonstrate environmental credentials at a time when urban voters increasingly weigh ecological governance. Whether the initiative translates into verifiable plantation numbers linked to official targets, or remains primarily a visibility exercise, will be the metric that separates symbolic politics from substantive policy.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' campaign?
'Shiv Vriksh Mitra' (Shiv Tree Friend) is a citizen afforestation initiative promoted by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, where people can enrol by giving a missed call to 8929629475 and commit to planting trees.
How can I join the Shiv Vriksh Mitra campaign?
You can join by giving a missed call to 8929629475. The missed-call mechanism requires no internet access, making it accessible to rural and urban citizens alike.
Where did Shivraj Singh Chouhan plant a tree on 31 May 2026?
He planted a sapling at the Smart City Park in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, alongside environment enthusiasts, as part of his daily tree-planting pledge.
What is the #OnePlantADay campaign in India?
#OnePlantADay is a social-media-linked afforestation drive championed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, encouraging every citizen to plant at least one tree per day to support India's forest and green cover targets.
How does Chouhan's tree-planting campaign connect to government policy?
The campaign aligns with the Green India Mission, the National Afforestation Programme, and India's nationally determined climate target to raise forest and tree cover to 33 per cent of geographical area, as well as the country's 2070 net-zero pledge.
