Varanasi (UP), March 1 In a massive tree planting drive held in the Sujabad Domri area on Sunday, Varanasi created a new world record by planting over 2.51 lakh trees in a single hour. This achievement surpasses an eight-year-old record held by China, officials said.
Guinness World Records judge Rishi Nath presented the official certificate to Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal after the event.
Civic body officials said a Guinness World Records team arrived in Domri on Sunday morning to document the process. This new "urban forest" covers 350 acres of land and was developed through the coordination of the Varanasi Municipal Corporation along with various social and government organizations.
According to the officials, the previous record was made on March 10, 2018, by the Henan Provincial Committee of China and the Henan Shifanghe Greening Engineering Company, with 1.53 lakh trees planted in an hour.
The plantation drive in Varanasi was monitored by Rishi Nath and world record strategist Nischal Barot. The final count was confirmed using drone cameras and digital counting systems before the official announcement was made.
The layout of the forest is divided into 60 sectors, each named after the famous Ganga Ghats of Kashi, including Dashashwamedh, Lalita Ghat, Naya Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Kedar Ghat, Chausatti Ghat, Man Mandir Ghat, and Sheetla Ghat. Each sector has over 4,000 saplings.
The project prioritizes 27 native species such as Sheesham, Arjun, Teak and Bamboo. It also includes fruit trees like Mango, Guava and Papaya, and medicinal plants like Ashwagandha, Shatavari and Giloy.
The drive saw large-scale participation from the Indian Army's 39 GTC, 34 GTC, 39 GR, and 137 CFTF (TA). Personnel from the NDRF, CRPF, Civil Defence, and the Uttar Pradesh Police's PAC battalions also participated in the drive.
Technical management was handled by Namami Gange, the state forest and agriculture departments while thousands of students and NCC cadets and NSS volunteers turned the event into a mass movement.
To ensure the survival of the saplings, a 10,827-meter pipeline has been laid in the forest area. Irrigation is supported by 10 borewells and 360 rain gun systems to minimise water wastage.
Officials said the Miyawaki technique, developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, was used to ensure the forest grows ten times faster than normal, aiming to create a dense cover within three years.
The project is also expected to generate revenue for the municipal corporation. Under an agreement with the MBK organization of Madhya Pradesh, the corporation would start earning Rs 2 crore from the third year, which could go up to Rs 7 crore annually by the seventh year.
Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari said the achievement, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guided by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, proves that Kashi is ready to lead on global environmental issues while preserving its traditions.