In order to help commemorate the Amrit Mahotsav celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence, 75 cities across the nation are participating in a mass tree plantation that will help to manifest the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, to transform Bharat into a healthy, green and serene land for all. Haridwar is on of those cities and, thanks to the extraordinary leadership of the Honorable Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhamiji, and the divine contributions of HH Param Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji – Muniji and Parmarth Niketan, all of the schemes are progressing in Uttarakhand!

Recently, Minister Subodh Uniyalji of the Agriculture Department, Government of India, announced the establishment of a Rudraksh forest under the auspices of the Haridwar Forest Division and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India and, to commemorate the announcement, Shri Uniyal ji; Pujya Swamiji; Chief Conservator of Forests, Garhwal, Shri Sushant Kumar Patnaik; Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand Shri Vinod Kumar ji; Principal Secretary Forest and Environment Shri RK Sudhanshu ji; and, additional Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand Shri Sameer Sinha ji, gathered to initiate the tree plantation.

Highlights of the programme include:

• The plantation of 1000 Rudraksh Vatikas (Gardens) at 75 places in Kumaon and Garwhal divisions, led by Pujya Swamiji and Parmarth Niketan.
• The construction of numerous water bodies, known as the “Parmarth Reservoir” in the Rajaji National Park,Uttarakhand by Parmarth Niketan as part of the “Journey from Shivalaya (Temple of Shiva) to Jalashaya (water reservoir & watershed)” project, providing water resources for elephants, monkeys, wild animals, birds and flora.

At the event, Pujya Swamiji shared that “this campaign to protect wildlife by constructing water bodies will one day become an international campaign. Now we have to take one step towards greenery and make this the formula of life. My city is my pride – our forest is our life. If the forest is saved, then life will be saved. Water, life and land – they are all necessary for the forest. We have to grow with these slogans only then we can make our earth green.”