Yogi Government to Protect 948 Heritage Trees in Uttar Pradesh
The Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is taking steps to preserve the state’s cultural heritage by nurturing 948 heritage trees through the Heritage Tree Adoption Scheme. This initiative is part of the Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2024.
Heritage Tree Gardens
Heritage Tree Gardens will be established in 11 districts: Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Meerut, Bareilly, Mathura, Sitapur, Chitrakoot, and Mirzapur. Each garden will feature a plant, twig, or branch from a heritage tree, along with other locally important species. Approximately eight hectares of land will be used for this project.
Special Heritage Trees
Some notable heritage trees include the Adansonia tree in Jhunsi (Prayagraj), the Peelu tree in the Ter Kadamba temple complex, and the Banyan tree at Valmiki Ashram in Unnao district. These trees are connected to historical and mythological events, special people, and religious traditions.
Designation of Heritage Trees
The Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board has designated trees over 100 years old and belonging to 28 species as ‘heritage trees.’ These trees are located in non-forest areas across all 75 districts of the state. Varanasi has the most heritage trees with 99, followed by Prayagraj with 53, Hardoi with 37, Ghazipur with 35, and Unnao with 34.
Tree Species
The heritage trees include species like Aru, Arjun, Mango, Tamarind, Kaim, Kareel, Kusum, Khirni, Shami, Gamhar, Gular, Chitwan, Chilbil, Jamun, Neem, Adansonia, Pakad, Peepal, Peelu, Banyan, Mahua, Mahogany, Mysore Banyan, Sheesham, Sal, Semal, Haldu, and Tumal. There are 422 Peepal and 363 Banyan trees.
Guidelines and Documentation
The Department of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has provided guidelines for the selection and documentation of heritage trees. A Heritage Tree Garden will also be developed to grow saplings of these trees.
Notable Trees
In Gorakhpur, the hometown of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, 19 trees have been designated as heritage trees. Other notable trees include the mother trees of Dussehri and Langra mangoes in Lucknow and Varanasi, the Bachan Imli in Fatehpur, and the Bodhi tree of Sarnath.
