The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh reported a major record attempt on July 2, 2017, after 1.5 million volunteers planted over 66 million tree saplings in only 12 hours along the Narmada river.
Their effort bested the state of Uttar Pradesh’s previous world record when 800,000 participants had planted 50 million trees in just one day in July 2016.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, boasted the achievement saying: “I am extremely proud to happily share that people of Madhya Pradesh successfully planted 6.63 Crore saplings today.” One crore is 10 million.
A press release for the occasion reported that the mass-planting event aimed to raise awareness for the “make India green again” plan. At the climate conference in Paris, India’s 2015 climate contribution included creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. Early coverage also described multibillion-dollar afforestation spending, a separate measure from the carbon target.
I am extremely proud to happily share that people of Madhya Pradesh successfully planted 6.63 Crore saplings today. #MPPlants6CroreTrees pic.twitter.com/5jlJcApomi
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) July 2, 2017
“I am greatly indebted to all who are planting trees today,” Chouhan added. “We will be contributing significantly to saving nature. By participating in a plantation, people are contributing their bit to climate change initiatives and saving the environment.”
Image credit: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
The reported number describes saplings planted during a campaign
The dated announcement embedded here is from July 2, 2017. Its figure of 6.63 crore corresponds to 66.3 million saplings, since one crore equals ten million. That conversion explains the rounded headline, but it does not turn the reported total into a later survey of living trees. A planting-day count, an independently certified record and a measurement of surviving forest are three distinct claims. The record claim is therefore reported as a campaign count, not as proof of long-term restoration. India’s official 2015 climate-contribution summary.
National climate goals use a different unit of success
India’s official 2015 climate contribution described an additional forest-and-tree carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent by 2030. That goal concerns accumulated carbon, not a direct conversion from the number of seedlings distributed or planted. To connect a campaign to such a goal, follow-up information would need to show where planting occurred, how many trees survived and how their growth was assessed. The large volunteer turnout remains a notable mobilization story. Its environmental outcome depends on what happened after the event, making continued records and care part of the achievement rather than an optional extra.
Later questions about survival and spending
The planting day was followed by disputes over what it achieved. In April 2018, SabrangIndia reported that Guinness World Records representatives at the sites had not awarded a record and that no official assessment of the drive had yet been made. In October 2019, after a change of state government, Forest Minister Umang Singhar handed a probe into the July 2, 2017 drive to the state’s Economic Offences Wing. He said department records showed about 2.96 crore (29.6 million) saplings planted that day and about 1.77 crore (17.7 million) alive by February 2019, and he alleged irregularities worth around ₹450 crore. These were a minister’s statements and allegations, not the findings of a completed inquiry, but they show why a planting-day total and surviving trees have to be counted separately.Sources: The Hitavada: Forest Minister hands plantation-drive probe to EOW (October 12, 2019) SabrangIndia: What is the Narmada plantation scam all about? (April 7, 2018)
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