TNI Bureau: Odisha on Wednesday set a new record by planting 1,49,11,339 saplings in a single day under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0 campaign, marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday. The feat surpassed the initial target of 75 lakh, making it one of the largest plantation drives in the country’s history.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the initiative at Ekamra College in Bhubaneswar, calling it a “people’s movement” to honour both mothers and Mother Earth. He said September 17 had become a day of “national pride,” with citizens pledging to safeguard the environment.
According to official data, plantations were carried out at 41,080 sites across all 30 districts with the participation of nearly 2.5 million people, including volunteers, students, industry workers, NCC cadets, and members of the armed forces. Sundargarh led the drive with 14,21,618 saplings, followed by Koraput (11,01,624), Keonjhar (10,42,927), and Mayurbhanj (9,17,659). Other major contributors included Kalahandi (7,67,510), Kandhamal (7,19,272), Ganjam (6,89,439), Angul (5,79,231), Nuapada (5,72,407), and Rayagada (5,66,957). Districts such as Balasore (5,28,369), Sambalpur (4,74,800), Balangir (4,44,220), and Boudh (4,11,419) also crossed the four-lakh mark. Smaller but significant contributions came from Deogarh (1,31,885), Malkangiri (1,92,465), and Nayagarh (1,92,615).
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Departments shared the responsibility: the Agriculture Department planted 23 lakh saplings, Panchayati Raj 34 lakh, and the Forest Department 15 lakh. Police, paramilitary forces, and industrial units carried out parallel drives, particularly in mining and drought-prone regions.
Majhi said the campaign was “not just about numbers but about nurturing saplings into trees for a sustainable future.” He described each plantation as a commitment to future generations.
The plantation was part of Seva Parv 2025, a nationwide programme running from September 17 to October 2. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined the event in Sambalpur, while BJP vice-president Baijayant Panda took part in Kendrapara. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sculpture in Puri, while writer Dr. Pratibha Ray and actor-MLA Sidhant Mohapatra extended their support.
Odisha has already planted five crore saplings under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0, with a target of 7.5 crore by March 2026. Citizens were encouraged to upload plantation photos on the Meri LiFE portal to receive participation certificates.
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