NATURE CONSERVANCY

India Has Planted Nearly 50 Million Trees In 24 Hours

The smoggy cities of India are suddenly looking a lot greener, with just under 50 million trees
having been planted in India in a record-breaking attempt to raise awareness of conservation.

The event took place on Monday in Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most populous states found
in the north of the country. More than 800,000 people from all walks of life, ranging from
students and housewives to government officials, planted 49.3 million tree saplings in just 24
hours. The saplings included 80 different species of trees were from 950 different nurseries
around the state.

Pakistan previously held the record, after planting 847,275 trees in 2013, but India’s attempt
earlier this week has already been certified by the Guinness Book Committee as the new title-
holder.

This mass-planting event is to raise awareness of the government's colossal nation-wide

plan to make India green again. At the Paris Climate Change Conference, India pledged to
increase forest cover to 95 million hectares (235 million acres) by 2030. India’s government is
putting forward $6.2 billion for this effort.

“The world has realized that serious efforts are needed to reduce carbon emissions to
mitigate the effects of global climate change,” Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told volunteers at
the event, Associated Press reports.

Due to the country’s massive boom in population and rapid industrialization, India is
notorious for its poor air quality. A recent report revealed that six Indian cities – Gwalior,
Allahabad, Patna, Raipur, Ludhiana, and Delhi – were among the top 10 most polluted cities in
the world, potentially leaving millions of people in India at serious risk of cardiac and respiratory
diseases.
 Questions to practice with students

1- What is the text about ?

2- How are India cities like ?

3- What people did to transform India cities ?

4- Why did people do that ?

5- How are Indians’ health conditions?

6- How is nature conservancy where you live ?

7- Why is it important to preserve nature?

8- What do you do to help preserving nature?