Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the nationwide ‘Vriksh Mitra Abhiyan’ to encourage mass tree plantation, community participation, and sustainable lifestyles, transforming environmental conservation into a nationwide people’s movement.

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• Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the nationwide ‘Vriksh Mitra Abhiyan’, urging every citizen to plant at least one tree annually and inspire five others to actively participate in environmental conservation.
• The campaign aims to transform environmental protection into a people-led movement by promoting large-scale tree plantation, public awareness, sustainable lifestyles, and long-term community participation across rural and urban India.
• A nationwide plantation drive will be organised on Hariyali Amavasya on 12 August, with volunteers across the country participating simultaneously to celebrate a national Tree Festival.
• The initiative proposes the formation of ‘Vriksh Mitra Parivar’ at national, state, district, block, and village levels to coordinate plantation drives and ensure the long-term care of planted saplings.
• Citizens have been encouraged to plant trees on birthdays, wedding anniversaries, the birth of a child, and in memory of parents to make environmental conservation part of everyday life.
• The campaign highlights the importance of protecting water resources, restoring soil fertility, reducing chemical usage in agriculture, and promoting sustainable farming practices to strengthen environmental and agricultural resilience.
• People have also been encouraged to adopt Mission LiFE by conserving water and energy, reducing plastic consumption, segregating waste, and embracing environmentally responsible daily habits.
• The initiative emphasizes that protecting and nurturing planted trees is as important as planting them, making collective community responsibility essential for achieving long-term environmental sustainability.