If UP can, why can’t we?: CM launches plantation drive, pitches for coconut

2 min readKolkataJul 15, 2026 05:14 AM IST

Union Minister Shivraj Chouhan plants a sapling with CM Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday. ANI

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday set a target of planting 10 crore saplings this year to protect the state’s environment, while citing the examples of Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh and Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat.

“If the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh can announce a target of planting 26 crore trees this monsoon, West Bengal is not as large a state as UP. So why can’t we say that we will plant 10 crore trees this monsoon?” Adhikari asked, while launching ‘Forest Week 2026’ at Vanbitan in Salt Lake.

He also added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target of planting 1.2 crore trees in his Lok Sabha constituency this year.

To realise his green mission, CM Adhikari said the executives of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have promised to plant 10 lakh trees this year. He, however, pointed out that merely planting trees is not enough; proper maintenance is crucial.

“I was the chairman of the Haldia Development Authority. We used to monitor the planted trees for three years, which yielded a 50 per cent survival rate. If we planted a thousand trees, we could save about 500 to 550 over three years. Therefore, simply planting trees won’t do; everyone must take responsibility for their maintenance for at least 2 to 3 years,” he said.

In the wake of the recent rise in lightning-related deaths in the state, the Chief Minister also advocated planting more coconut trees and has already issued directives to the State Pollution Control Board to this effect. According to Adhikari, the initiative is aimed at reducing the impact of lightning strikes and enhancing protection in vulnerable areas. The state government on June 5 set a target of planting 7.2 crore saplings this year, with a target of planting 7 lakh saplings for the launch day itself. However, actual figures revealed that 9 lakh saplings were planted on day one.

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

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