Varanasi, March 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Sunday set a record, overshadowing a Chinese feat, by planting more than 2.5 lakh saplings in less than one hour at an upcoming urban forest, said an official.

The achievement was officially recognised by the Guinness World Records.

Rishi Nath, the official judge of Guinness World Records who was present on the occasion, confirmed the record by presenting a certificate to Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal.

The record plantation drive was anchored by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, which planted 2,51,446 saplings at the urban forest in Sujabad-Domri.

“Today in PM Modi’s constituency Varanasi, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) undertook a historic initiative — plantation of more than 2.5 lakh saplings in less than one hour! Over 20,000 citizens participated in this mega drive — a true example of public participation at its best,” said an official in a statement issued by the civic agency.

A civic official said that earlier, the record for planting the largest number of trees in one hour was held by the Henan Provincial Committee of China, which planted 1,53,981 trees in 2018.

“Kashi (Varanasi) surpassed that mark by a well-planned strategy, extensive public participation, and the integration of modern technology. The entire campaign was accurately monitored through drone surveillance and a digital counting system,” said the statement.

The official statement said the VMC is developing a massive urban forest named “Namo Van” across approximately 350 bighas of land near the Ganga ghats, in the Domari area.

Under this project, a total of 3 lakh saplings are being planted, including 2.5 lakh Miyawaki-method saplings,10,000 timber trees and 40,000 fruit-bearing trees, said an official statement.

Additionally, the project will feature a 4-kilometre walking pathway; meditation and yoga plaza; a 4-hectare flower park; a 2-hectare herbal park; a children’s play zone and an open gym plaza.

This urban forest will enhance biodiversity, strengthen the Ganga riverbank, and improve ecological balance, said the statement.

From the third year onwards, the municipal corporation is expected to generate an annual revenue of around Rs 2 crore, which could increase to Rs 7 crore by the seventh year, it said.

There is also a plan to establish a Naturopathy Plaza here in the future, said the statement.

–IANS

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