‘Only trees give oxygen’: Bhupender Yadav hails Indore’s green drive as national model
Bhopal: Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday hailed Indore’s large-scale plantation drive as a model for sustainable development, asserting that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India will lead in both ecology and economy. Marking the first anniversary of the record-setting plantation of 12.4 lakh trees under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, Yadav joined Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who has been spearheading the plantation campaign, and thousands of volunteers at Revati Range to plant 51,000 saplings. Yadav praised Indore for its consistent efforts toward environmental preservation and called the green mission a “Yagya to save the Earth.” “No machine in the world produces oxygen—only trees do,” said Yadav, highlighting global ecological crises including rising temperatures, pesticide-driven soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity. “Planting 12.4 lakh trees is a remarkable achievement. These trees will turn the Earth into a fertile, green land, as envisioned in our national song, Vande Mataram.”
Yadav also planted a Sindoor tree at the spiritual site Pitru Parvat after the main event. Under Vijayvargiya’s leadership, fruit saplings were planted at the ‘Ma Ki Bagiya’ developed at the same site. This initiative has been taken by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Addressing the gathering, Minister Vijayvargiya said trees are akin to Lord Shiva—absorbing the poison of carbon dioxide and giving life-sustaining oxygen. “Planting a tree is like building a temple,” he said, appealing to children to plant trees on their birthdays. Vijayvargiya announced plans to develop Revati Range into a spiritual and meditation centre, similar to Pitru Parvat. Vijayvargiya credited the Indore Municipal Corporation and the city’s residents for the successful maintenance of the 12.4 lakh trees, which was made a Guinness World Record last year. He announced a nursery at the site to ensure sustainability.
