Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, announced a large-scale plantation campaign across approximately 4,000 hectares of land under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Sanvardhan Yojana, with a budgetary allocation of Rs 55 crore. The initiative aims to preserve and enhance the green cover, natural beauty, and ecological richness of the Himalayan state.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, CM Sukhu described the campaign as central to his government's environmental vision: 'देवभूमि हिमाचल प्रदेश की हरियाली, प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य और पर्यावरणीय समृद्धि को संरक्षित करने के उद्देश्य से' — 'with the aim of preserving the greenery, natural beauty and environmental richness of Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh.' He added that the effort is directed at making the valleys greener and providing future generations a clean, safe, and balanced environment.

Himachal Pradesh, often called Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods), already records over 60 percent forest cover — among the highest for any Indian state — yet faces mounting ecological pressure from climate-driven risks including glacial retreat, landslides, and biodiversity loss.

Policy Backdrop

The Rajiv Gandhi Van Sanvardhan Yojana is a state-level afforestation scheme named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, continuing a tradition of welfare and development programmes bearing his name across several Congress-governed states. The scheme draws on the broader national afforestation framework established under the National Afforestation Programme, launched by the Government of India in 2000, which promotes regeneration of degraded forest lands through joint forest management.

Himachal Pradesh has maintained an annual Van Mahotsav plantation drive since the 1950s, making large-scale tree-planting a longstanding institutional practice in the state. The current campaign scales that tradition with dedicated state funding and a defined area target, aligned with India's national goal of achieving 33 percent forest and tree cover nationwide.

Stakeholders and Impact

The plantation drive is expected to directly benefit hill communities and forest-dependent households across Himachal Pradesh, who rely on stable forest ecosystems for water security, livelihood, and protection from natural hazards. Afforestation at this scale also contributes to carbon sequestration targets under India's commitments within the Forest Conservation Act framework.

Himalayan states have increasingly intensified such programmes as a response to climate-induced risks. A successful campaign covering 4,000 hectares would represent a meaningful addition to the state's green infrastructure, with downstream benefits for soil retention, groundwater recharge, and local biodiversity.

What's Next

The plantation campaign is expected to gain momentum during the 2026 monsoon season, the optimal window for sapling establishment in Himalayan terrain. Observers will track sapling survival rates and actual area coverage as key performance indicators for the scheme's effectiveness.

The Himachal Pradesh state forest department is likely to conduct mid-term reviews of fund utilisation and field progress, with outcomes informing future allocations under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Sanvardhan Yojana. The initiative also signals the Sukhu government's intent to position environmental stewardship as a core policy plank ahead of the state's political calendar.