Udhampur Forest Department Targets Over 100,000 Saplings This Monsoon

When the first heavy showers arrived in Udhampur this June, the forest officials seized the moment. With the fire season finally behind them, the Udhampur Forest Division rolled out a monsoon plantation drive that hopes to see over 100,000 saplings taking root across the district.

Range Officer Ayush Gupta, who oversees the effort, told reporters that the timing was crucial. “The rains give the young plants a fighting chance,” he said, smiling. “We’ve already started distributing saplings to schools, NGOs, the defence forces and even private citizens who want to contribute.”

At present the division’s two nurseries are brimming with roughly 135,000 seedlings – a healthy buffer to ensure that the target is met, even if some saplings don’t survive the first few months.

Beyond the obvious goal of greening the hills, there’s a more immediate concern on the table: the ever‑present monkey menace. Residents have long complained about rhesus macaques raiding homes and markets. To address this, the forest team is carefully choosing tree species that can thrive inside the forest and provide ample food for the primates, hoping to keep them away from human habitations.

In a related but far‑flung initiative, the Green India Challenge (GIC) launched its ninth edition from the confluence of the Godavari and Manjara rivers in Maharashtra. The programme’s ambition is staggering – planting 9.9 million native trees across the Godavari basin, from Basar to Trimbakeshwar, and along the Manjara and Pranahita tributaries. Organisers are rallying five million volunteers, aiming to turn the massive tree‑planting push into one of the world’s biggest citizen‑led climate actions.

The GIC’s drive comes as the Marathwada region grapples with an unprecedented rise in temperature, nearly four degrees Celsius higher than normal this year. By restoring forest cover, the initiative hopes to temper the heat, protect watersheds and offer a tangible response to climate stress.

Both Udhampur’s local effort and Maharashtra’s massive campaign underline a growing recognition: trees are not just scenery, they’re a frontline defence against environmental challenges, from wildlife conflicts to soaring temperatures.