Tree Friend Initiative to Transform Birthdays and Anniversaries into Green Acts

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan addressed a gathering of Tree Friends, declaring that environmental preservation is now a civic duty intertwined with family rituals. He urged members to plant a tree on key life events such as a child’s birth, a wedding, or a loved one’s death anniversary, branding these moments as “Tree Festivals.” Each friend is expected to plant at least one tree annually and recruit five additional supporters, announcing the effort via social media platforms. The minister emphasized that a structured network of committees – from the national level down to individual villages – will be set up, with official registration and designated planting zones in panchayats and municipal bodies. The plan also ties tree‑planting to current government initiatives, ensuring that new development projects begin with a green footprint.