July 31, 2007 - LUCKNOW, India (AFP) - India's most populous state planted more than 10 million trees in a single day Tuesday as part of an environmental awareness drive, authorities said.
Farmers and students were mobilised to plant the record number of trees across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 160 million people.
"In fact, we have overshot the target," said state forestry chief V.N. Garg in the capital Lucknow, adding nearly 10.5 million saplings had been planted.
The official said the planting was being sent to the Guinness Book of records for a possible mention.
"The sites can also be seen on Google Earth and the detailed reports (on plantation figures) are being sent to the office of the Guinness book of world records," Garg said.
Less than a tenth of the state's landmass is under forest cover, compared to the national average of 23 percent.
Garg said thousands of farmers and students planted 60 percent of the trees, with the Uttar Pradesh forestry department accounting for the rest.
India's record was previously held by the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where more than 850,000 trees were planted in one day in 2006.
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