The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to establish 'Vande Mataram Vatika' — dedicated green zones — across all 75 districts of the state as part of its 80th Independence Day celebrations on 15 August. The initiative, spearheaded by the state's Forest Department, commemorates 150 years of the national song 'Vande Mataram' and ties patriotic sentiment to environmental conservation.

What the Vande Mataram Vatika Involves

Under the programme, 150 saplings will be planted in every district — each sapling symbolising one year of Vande Mataram's 150-year legacy. The plantation drive runs under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign, which has been a recurring environmental push by the state administration.

Each Vatika will feature shady, fruit-bearing, and ecologically beneficial species, selected by the Forest Department. Day-to-day upkeep will be handed to local communities, ensuring the sites serve as lasting green heritage rather than one-time ceremonial plantations.

Kukrail Vatika: A Flagship Site

Sitanshu Pandey, Divisional Forest Officer of Awadh Forest Division, said the Vande Mataram Vatika at Kukrail picnic spot in Lucknow will be expanded on Independence Day. 'An Ashoka Chakra has been constructed here, and Ashoka saplings will be planted on the outer area of its 24 spokes. Fencing will be installed around the area to protect the plants. Sapling plantation will be conducted by retired and serving Indian Forest Service officers, as well as representatives from various sections of society,' Pandey said.

Who Will Participate

Deepak Kumar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), described the Vatika as 'an important link in the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign,' adding that the drive is designed for broad-based public involvement. Participants are expected to include public representatives, students from schools, colleges, and universities, non-governmental organisations, social groups, families of freedom fighters, NCC and NSS volunteers, Youth and Women Welfare Squads (Yuvak/Mahila Mangal Dal), serving and former Indian Forest Service officers, and multiple government departments.

Broader Significance

This comes amid a nationwide push to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, the song composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay that became a rallying cry during India's independence movement. By anchoring a mass plantation drive to this cultural milestone, the Uttar Pradesh government is attempting to blend civic memory with ecological action — a model that, if community ownership takes hold, could outlast the ceremonial occasion. The Forest Department's emphasis on local upkeep is notably different from past drives where plantations withered without sustained follow-through.