Assam government mulls to set multiple world records with massive sapling plantation drive

Assam is set to potentially make its mark in the world records through a mass tree plantation initiative on September 17. 

"On September 17, around 40 lakh members of women self-help groups from across the State would be planting two commercially viable saplings each, taking the total to 80 lakh. The rest (20 lakh or more) would be planted by people belonging to various walks of life such as Anganwadi workers, tea garden workers, government officials, police and forest battalions and members of the general public of the state," said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The state’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on September 7 that in total the state government will be aiming to break six old world records in tree plantation and create three new records in the same event. 

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According to the Assam government, a total of 9 Guinness World Records will also be attempted as part of the exercise. 

The attempts are: largest spiral of saplings; largest number of saplings distributed in a day at one venue; most trees planted in 1 hour; most trees planted in 24 hours; most team planted in 1 hour by a team of 100; largest planted tree mosaic; largest photo album of people planting trees; most pledges taken to plant trees to protect them; largest nature conservation lesson online/offline. 

The ambitious tree-planting initiative is slated to take place in memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, coinciding with his birth anniversary.

The government of Assam, through the launch of the Assam Green Mission, has set out a goal of increasing green cover of the state by 2% i.e. from 36% to 38% over a span of Five (05) years.

Assam's mega plantation drive, "Amrit Brikshya Andolan, 2023" involves the plantation of over one Crore seedlings of 53 nos. of commercially valuable species to be planted across the State in one day on 17th September 2023, in a Jan Bhagidaari model, will attempt to create multiple records 1.46 crore seedlings of 53 commercially valuable species have been mobilized
of which 1.17 crore seedlings have been mobilized via competitive bidding.

As of 5th September 2023, 68 lakh seedlings have already been delivered to various Stocking Points across the state.

This initiative will promote the Tree Economy in the State and will attract new investment in the wood-based industry sector as over 5000 crore is expected to be added to the state economy over a period of the next 5-10 years from the trees planted under the programme.

47,34,465 beneficiaries have registered online through the mobile app incentives of Rs 100 per beneficiary are to be paid via DBT mode on the plantation of the seedlings and a follow-up incentive of Rs 200 per beneficiary is to be paid on uploading time-stamped and geotagged photographs of surviving trees after two years.