Vriksh Mitra Abhiyan: People-Led Tree Plantation Drive
Why in the news
In July 2026 Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Union minister for agriculture and farmers’ welfare, started a countrywide push to make tree planting a mass movement, with families, panchayats and urban bodies sharing ownership.
Key facts
- Idea: every citizen becomes a “Vriksh Mitra” who plants, protects and nurtures trees and adopts greener habits such as saving water and avoiding plastic.
- Occasion planting: a tree on birthdays, wedding anniversaries, births of children and in memory of parents.
- “One Tree, Five Companions”: plant at least one tree a year and bring five more people in.
- Vriksh Mitra Pariwar: a coordination network from national down to state, district, block and village level.
- Hariyali Amavasya: nationwide planting drive on 12 August, treated as a national tree festival.
- Sites: panchayats and urban local bodies pick plantation sites and ensure long-term upkeep.
Objectives
- Turn planting into a social movement and widen public participation in conservation.
- Encourage eco-friendly farming, water saving and climate resilience.
- Back the aims of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
Convergence with schemes
| Scheme | Link |
|---|---|
| PM Gram Sadak Yojana | Roadside avenue plantations |
| PM Awas Yojana | Plantation integrated with housing programme |
| Lakhpati Didi | Rural livelihood link |
| Mission LiFE | Energy saving, water saving, waste segregation, plastic-free living |
Significance
- Cover is about 25% of area versus the 33% National Forest Policy, 1988 target; sapling survival matters more than planting numbers, hence the stress on care and fixed sites.
- Agroforestry brings farmers extra income, fodder and shade, and counts toward the Paris commitment of a 2.5-3 billion tonne additional CO2 sink by 2030.
Exam angle
- Promoted by the agriculture ministry; implementers are panchayats, urban local bodies and citizens.
- Compare with: Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (2024), Green India Mission.
- Difference: Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam is a plantation drive for mothers; Vriksh Mitra builds a lasting network and yearly pledge.
- Likely one-liners: pledge name, festival date, network name.