Lucknow, June 6: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called on citizens on Friday to actively resist illegal land, forest, and mining operations that degrade the regional ecosystem and deplete water reserves.
Speaking at a state environmental seminar titled ‘Uttar Pradesh Me Jalwayu Parivartan Ki Chunautiyo Ka Samadhaan’ at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Adityanath stated that civic responsibility remains crucial for maintaining environmental integrity. To mark World Environment Day, which coincided with his 54th birthday, the Chief Minister issued a five-part civic pledge focused on extensive tree planting, plastic reduction, and water preservation.
“If there is water, there is a future, and if there are forests, there is life,” Adityanath declared. “The entire cycle of life is interconnected. Yet, humanity has neglected these resources the most.”
The Chief Minister noted that shifting weather patterns have delayed seasonal cycles by up to a month and a half over the last 25 years, directly impacting the state’s agriculture-based economy through unseasonal droughts and heavy rainfall. To counteract these climatic pressures, Adityanath announced that the state’s nurseries have prepared 55 crore saplings, with a target to plant 35 crore trees during a single-day public mobilization drive this July.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing local environmental contributors. Adityanath presented financial prizes to several regional school students for their winning entries in the state pollution board’s logo design and painting contests, while also honoring six village headmen for successfully identifying and protecting regional wetlands.
Local Village Leaders Honored For Conservation Efforts At Regional Seminar
A comprehensive conservation strategy targeting illegal resource extraction and wetland reclamation was unveiled by the Uttar Pradesh government during a regional climate convention on Friday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed local administrative bodies, municipal leaders, and village headmen to integrate the recovery of ponds, wells, and stepwells directly into their localized development blueprints. Adityanath stated that the state has successfully expanded its globally recognized wetlands from a single territory to 13 distinct Ramsar sites over the last nine years, recently adding Surha Tal in Ballia to the international protective registry.
“Responsible citizens must fulfil their duties toward the motherland,” Adityanath asserted while taking a swipe at public wastefulness and tap water theft. “Expressing gratitude and fulfilling duties toward the mother who gave birth to us and the land where we were born is our responsibility.”
The Chief Minister stated that the preservation of large natural water bodies, such as the Ramgarh and Chilua lakes in Gorakhpur, has demonstrated a measurable cooling effect on local microclimates, counteracting extreme urban summer heat. He noted that despite intensive infrastructure expansions across Uttar Pradesh, synchronized public plantation campaigns have successfully increased the state’s overall green cover through the planting of more than 242 crore saplings over nearly a decade.
During the session, school children and local representatives expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister, presenting birthday greetings during the formal distribution of reusable cloth bags. The administration confirmed that the state-sponsored ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign successfully planted five crore saplings across various districts on Friday as a preliminary step toward larger reforestation goals later this summer.
