Uttar Pradesh Afforestation Drive and Nodal Officer Deployment
Source:freepressjournal ↗
Why It Matters
Mega tree-plantation drives like the Paudhropan Mahayagya represent Uttar Pradesh's core strategy for combating climate change and aligning with national afforestation goals. UPPSC frequently questions state-specific environmental policies, administrative execution frameworks (like the deployment of senior bureaucrat Nodal Officers), and data related to the state's forest cover.
Summary
The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed senior state administrative officers as district-specific Nodal Officers to guarantee the seamless execution of the 'Paudhropan Mahayagya-2026' mega plantation drive, scheduled for July 12, 2026. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will kick off the campaign from Gorakhpur. The designated Nodal Officers are tasked with coordinating with the Forest Department, public representatives, and central/state ministers to oversee district-level tree plantation targets, supporting UP's broader goals of expanding state forest cover.
Key Points
- The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is launching a state-wide mass tree plantation campaign named 'Paudhropan Mahayagya-2026' on July 12, 2026.
- Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will officially launch the green drive from Gorakhpur, where Sports Secretary Suhas L.Y. has been appointed as the Nodal Officer.
- To ensure flawless execution, the state government has appointed senior IAS officers and department heads as Nodal Officers for all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
- Nodal Officers will work in coordination with Union and State Ministers, local public representatives, and the state Forest Department to monitor the ground-level implementation of the drive.
- Key district allocations include: M. Devaraj (Lucknow), Shambhu Kumar (Varanasi), Ajay Kumar Shukla (Prayagraj), Amit Gupta (Ayodhya), Dr. Hari Om (Agra), and Dr. Shanmuga Sundaram M.K. (Kanpur Nagar).
- Such mega-plantation campaigns are central to Uttar Pradesh’s environmental goal of expanding its combined forest and tree cover to 15% of its total geographical area.
Important Terms
Paudhropan Mahayagya-2026
A massive afforestation campaign launched by the Uttar Pradesh government on July 12, 2026, targeting the planting of 35 crore saplings statewide to combat heatwaves and enhance green cover.
UPSC context
GS Paper III: Environment; tests policies for climate change mitigation, sustainable development, and ecological conservation.
Forest Department (Uttar Pradesh)
The primary state-level environmental agency acting as the nodal department to coordinate, implement, and monitor the Paudhropan Mahayagya-2026 plantation drive across districts.
UPSC context
GS Paper III: Environment; tests state-level administrative mechanisms in executing environmental goals and afforestation drives.
Mission Chhaya
A sub-initiative of UP's 2026 plantation campaign focusing on planting over 20 million shade-giving and fruit-bearing trees along expressways, highways, and rural roads to combat urban heat islands.
UPSC context
GS Paper III: Environment; evaluates urban heatwave mitigation strategies and infrastructure greening initiatives.
Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam
A state-owned electricity distribution utility in eastern Uttar Pradesh, whose Managing Director was appointed as a district nodal officer to oversee the 2026 plantation drive in Varanasi.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Governance; assesses use of diverse state utility departments for inter-departmental development drives.
Food Safety and Drug Administration
A state regulatory department responsible for food safety and drug quality, whose senior officials have been deputed as administrative nodal officers for district-level environmental monitoring.
UPSC context
GS Paper II: Governance; examines the flexibility of the state administrative apparatus in mobilising regulatory personnel.
Prelims Trap
Uttar Pradesh aims to achieve the national mandate of 33% forest and tree cover by 2030.
UP's specific state target is 15% by 2030, recognizing its highly agricultural landscape, distinct from the national 33% target under the National Forest Policy 1988.
Static Concepts Connected
What is the difference between 'Forest Cover' and 'Tree Cover' under the ISFR?
- Forest Cover: Includes all lands more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10%, irrespective of ownership and legal status.
- Tree Cover: Refers to tree patches outside the recorded forest area (RFA) exclusive of forest cover, less than 1 hectare in size.
- Assessment Method: Forest cover is assessed using remote sensing (satellite data resolution), while tree cover is estimated using inventory-based sample data.
What are Agro-climatic Zones and how do they aid regional afforestation?
- Definition: An agro-climatic zone is a land unit categorized by major climates, suitable for a specific range of crops and tree cultivars.
- Zonal divisions: The Planning Commission divided India into 15 broad agro-climatic regions, while UP is locally divided into 9 distinct zones.
- Afforestation linkage: Mapping tree species to specific agro-climatic zones (like Tarai vs Vindhyan) ensures higher sapling survival rates and ecological harmony.
Cross-Topic Patterns
Mass Afforestation vs. Agro-biodiversity
Single-day mega plantation drives often risk monoculture. Integrating diverse native species across UP's nine agro-climatic zones is crucial to prevent ecological homogeneity.
Cooperative Federalism in Climate Action
UP's campaign aligning with the Centre’s 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' showcases vertical policy integration in meeting India's NDC forestry targets under the Paris Agreement.
Distinction between 'Forest' and 'Tree' cover under ISFR, paired with state-led afforestation targets, is highly probable for GS-3 2026.
Linked PYQs · 2
Linked PYQs · 2
- 2004UPPSC_PRELIMSGS1
Presently total forest cover in Uttar Pradesh is only.
- 2019UPPSC_PRELIMSGS1
India aims to achieve land degradation neutrality by the year
