Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will launch the statewide 35-crore (350 million) sapling plantation campaign in a single day from Gorakhpur on Sunday.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to appeal to people to actively participate in the campaign and contribute towards environmental conservation and the expansion of green cover across the state (FILE PHOTO)As part of the drive, he will plant the sacred Triveni—Neem, Peepal and Banyan saplings—near the Gorakhpur Link Expressway and a Maulsari sapling along the Ramgarh Tal Ring Road. He will also address a public gathering.Gorakhpur has been assigned a target of planting 55.28 lakh (5.528) million saplings under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. Twenty-seven state government departments will participate in the district-wide plantation drive.During the programme, the chief minister is expected to appeal to people to actively participate in the campaign and contribute towards environmental conservation and the expansion of green cover across the state.Arun Kumar Saxena, minister of state (independent charge) for forest and environment, will accompany the chief minister during the launch programme.Shubham Singh, the divisional forest officer (DFO), said all preparations have been completed to achieve the district’s plantation target. Quality saplings have been made available at government nurseries, while advance groundwork, including pit digging, topsoil preparation, site development and protective measures, has already been completed to ensure a higher survival rate of the plantations.He said Gorakhpur aims to plant 5,528,600 saplings through the coordinated efforts of 27 government departments, with the forest department bearing the largest share of the target.According to the DFO, the forest department has been assigned the highest target of 1,937,000 saplings, followed by the rural development department (1,861,000), agriculture department (576,000), horticulture department (285,000), environment department (238,000), panchayati raj department (202,000) and revenue department (143,000).The state government has described the plantation campaign as one of its largest environmental initiatives, aimed at increasing green cover, strengthening ecological balance and encouraging greater public participation in environmental protection.