“Planting One Tree is Equal to Nurturing Ten Sons”: MLA Urges People to Protect the Environment
Dehradun/Vikasnagar: Marking the traditional Uttarakhand festival of Harela, Sahaspur MLA Sahdev Singh Pundir led a series of tree plantation drives at various locations across the Sahaspur Assembly constituency on Thursday. Planting fruit-bearing and shade-giving saplings, he urged residents to actively participate in environmental conservation by planting more trees and ensuring their long-term care.
As part of the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (One Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign, the MLA joined officials of the Forest Department and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to plant several species of shade trees in Banshiwala Gram Panchayat. He later participated in another plantation drive at Green Avenue, Chandrabani, where fruit-bearing and ornamental shade trees were planted.
Extending Harela greetings to the people, MLA Sahdev Singh Pundir said that the festival represents Uttarakhand’s rich cultural heritage and its deep-rooted reverence for nature. He described Harela as a celebration of greenery, the arrival of a new agricultural season, prosperity, farming, livestock, and environmental conservation.
Referring to the traditional belief that “the better the Harela, the better the harvest,” he said the festival reflects the close relationship between nature and agriculture in Uttarakhand.
The MLA noted that planting trees after Harela worship during the holy month of Shravan has been an age-old tradition in the state. Quoting the traditional saying, “Planting one tree is equal to nurturing ten sons,” he emphasized the immense social and ecological value of tree plantation.
He further said that large-scale plantation campaigns are being conducted across Uttarakhand with the active participation of government departments, voluntary organisations, and the public. However, he stressed that planting a sapling alone is not enough; its protection, care, and nurturing are equally important. He urged citizens to take responsibility for preserving the trees they plant so that future generations inherit a greener and healthier environment.
The MLA also encouraged people to plant trees on special occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and family celebrations, describing environmental conservation as a collective responsibility that requires active public participation.
Those present on the occasion included Shivalik Nagar Mandal President Madan Singh, Mandal General Secretary Chandrashekhar Samant, Ward No. 91 Councillor Suman Butola, former Councillor Sukhveer Singh Butola, Glaxian International School Managing Director Dr. Mayank Gaur, Sunita Gaur, Deepak Rana, members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), senior party workers, and several prominent citizens.