Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan in Chhattisgarh

What is Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Abhiyan?

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, meaning "one tree in the name of mother", is a nationwide plantation campaign launched by the Government of India on World Environment Day, 5 June 2024, under the Mission LiFE framework of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The idea is deliberately simple: plant one tree as a tribute to your mother and to Mother Earth, then take responsibility for keeping it alive.

In Chhattisgarh, the campaign is run by the Forest and Climate Change Department, Government of Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai launched the 2026 round on 6 June 2026 at Rajeev Smriti Van with a state target of 2.5 crore saplings and the theme "Inspired by Nature, for Climate, for Our Future". Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap and Padma Shri awardees took part in the launch event. Earlier state rounds include the 2024 launch, in which the Chief Minister planted a sapling in July 2024, and the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0 drive in July 2025 in which the Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Raman Singh took part.

At the national level, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reported crossing 80 crore saplings planted by September 2024, well ahead of its initial target for the first season.

Who can take part in Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, and who is not eligible?

You can take part if:

• You are any resident of Chhattisgarh, of any age. There is no age limit, no income limit and no caste or category condition.
• You have a place to plant; your own courtyard, farm bund, field boundary, school ground, panchayat land, an institutional campus or a site allotted by the forest department or gram panchayat.
• You are a school, college, gram panchayat, urban body, self-help group, NGO, cooperative, temple committee or company wanting to plant as a group.
• You are willing to look after the sapling after planting. Watering, fencing and protection from cattle in the first two summers decide whether the tree survives.

Restrictions that apply:

• You cannot apply for any cash benefit, subsidy, honorarium or wage under this campaign, because none exists. It is a participation drive, not a beneficiary scheme.
• You are not eligible to plant on land you do not own or control. Planting on someone else's private land, on a road right of way or on encroached land needs the owner's or the authority's permission first.
• Planting inside reserved forest and protected areas is done only by the forest department under an approved working plan. Citizens cannot plant there on their own; join a departmental drive instead.
• Species that are invasive or unsuitable for a site, such as eucalyptus on a shallow village tank bund, may be refused by the nursery. Take the range officer's advice.

What you need to participate

How to apply and take part in Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam in Chhattisgarh

1. Find your nearest forest nursery. Every forest range in Chhattisgarh runs a nursery. Ask your beat guard, forest range officer, gram panchayat secretary or the Divisional Forest Officer's office where saplings are being distributed in your area during the campaign. Gram panchayats and urban bodies also hold distribution camps in June and July.
2. Choose the right species for your site. Native and medicinal species do best in Chhattisgarh conditions, harra, baheda and amla have been promoted under the campaign, along with peepal, neem, jamun, mahua, karanj and sal-belt natives. Fruit species work well on farm boundaries.
3. Collect the saplings free of cost and plant them at the start of the monsoon, ideally between mid-June and the end of August. Dig a pit of about 45 cm on each side, mix in farmyard manure, plant, firm the soil and water immediately.
4. Register on the MeriLiFE portal at merilife.nic.in or the Mission LiFE app with your mobile number, and select the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign.
5. Upload a photograph of yourself with the planted sapling, add the location if prompted, and submit.
6. Download your participation certificate, which is generated immediately and carries the campaign branding.
7. Protect and water the sapling for at least the first two years. Fence it against cattle with thorn branches or a tree guard, water it through the first two hot seasons, and clear weeds around the base.

Group participants — schools, colleges, panchayats and companies; should register as an institution and record the total number of saplings, rather than uploading one entry per person.

How do you check plantation numbers and progress?

1. Open the MeriLiFE dashboard at merilife.nic.in, which shows cumulative plantation counts under the campaign.
2. Check the Chhattisgarh Forest Department site, forest.cg.gov.in, and the department's district and circle offices for state and district-wise plantation figures announced during the season.
3. Ask your gram panchayat for the local plantation register. Panchayats record how many saplings were distributed and planted in each ward.
4. Follow state press releases and the Chief Minister's office announcements during June and July, when the season's targets and achievements are declared.

Why do so many saplings die, and how to prevent it?

The weak point of every plantation campaign is survival, not planting. In Chhattisgarh conditions, the practical failures are:

• Planting too late. A sapling put in the ground in September or October faces a long dry period with no established roots. Plant with the first reliable rains.
• No protection from cattle and goats. Free-grazing animals destroy more young saplings in Chhattisgarh villages than drought does. A thorn fence, a bamboo tripod or a tree guard is not optional.
• No watering in the first two summers. Water once a week through March, April and May for the first two years.
• Wrong species for the soil. Waterlogged black soil, dry murrum and lateritic Bastar soils each suit different species. Ask the nursery in charge.
• Planting too shallow or too deep. The collar of the sapling should sit at ground level. Remove the polythene bag before planting. A very common mistake.
• No mulching. A ring of dry leaves or straw around the base holds moisture through the hot months.

Where to get help

• Beat Guard, Forest Range Officer and the Divisional Forest Officer of your forest division, the closest source of saplings, species advice and plantation site guidance.
• Forest and Climate Change Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, whose circulars and district contacts are published at forest.cg.gov.in.
• Gram panchayat secretary or the ward officer of your urban body for local distribution camps and plantation drives.
• MeriLiFE portal at merilife.nic.in for registration, photo upload and certificate download problems.

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam involves no fee at any stage. Saplings from a government nursery under the campaign are free. Report any demand for money to the Divisional Forest Officer in writing.