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MP News: State Achieves 60% Plantation Target, Bhopal Hills To Bloom By 2026

**Madhya Pradesh Progresses Towards Amrit Harit Maha Abhiyan Targets, Plans New Initiatives for 2026**

*Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)* – Madhya Pradesh has achieved approximately 60% of its target under the Amrit Harit Maha Abhiyan, a campaign aiming to plant over one crore saplings by the end of 2025. The Urban Administration Department (UAD) is already looking ahead, preparing proposals for 2026 with a focus on securing land and introducing innovative plantation concepts across the state.

### Transforming Bhopal’s Seven Hills into Seasonal Floral Landscapes

One of the highlight projects for 2026 is the beautification of Bhopal’s seven hills — Arera Hills, Shyamala Hills, Idgah Hills, Katara Hills, Danish Hills, Neori Hills, and Kaliyasot Hills. The UAD plans to transform these hills with seasonal flower beds, planting between 25,000 to 30,000 flowering plants to ensure year-round bloom cycles.

Six varieties of seasonal plants will be used to keep the hills vibrant throughout the year, aiming to turn Bhopal into a natural floral destination. A senior UAD official stated, “The goal is to make the hills come alive with blossoms season after season, creating a unique natural floral attraction in Bhopal.”

### Addressing Land Challenges for 2026 Plantation Drive

Securing land within municipal limits continues to be a major challenge for expanding plantation activities. While smaller Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have exceeded their targets — such as Chand in Chhindwara at 227%, Dhanpuri in Shahdol at 160%, and Bhedaghat in Jabalpur at 142% — larger cities are lagging behind.

Bhopal, notably, has achieved just 17% of its plantation target, with issues including encroachments in several patches. Of five key plantation patches in Bhopal, three face encroachments: a 19-acre area in Damkheda and two 13-acre patches. However, patches in Jahgariya Kurd measuring 15 and 23 acres remain encroachment-free.

Following directives from the UAD on September 2, ten municipal corporations have collectively marked nearly 500 acres for the 2026 plantation drive. This figure is expected to rise to 700–800 acres by the end of the year.

### Land Identified So Far for 2026 Plantation Drive

– Satna: 100 acres (11 patches)
– Gwalior: 84.79 acres (4 patches)
– Bhopal: 84 acres (5 patches)
– Rewa: 64 acres
– Chhindwara: 61 acres
– Jabalpur: 55 acres
– Ratlam: 25.50 acres
– Burhanpur: 11 acres
– Dewas: 3 acres
– Khandwa: 2.99 acres

Satna currently leads in total land identified for plantation activities.

### Innovative Concept Plantation Drives Across Madhya Pradesh

For 2026, the UAD plans to roll out innovative concept plantations across 416 ULBs. These will include unique models such as Nagar Vans (urban forests), Herbal Forests, Oxygen Parks, and Botanical Gardens. The final designs and plantation types will depend on local conditions and available land resources.

These concept plantations aim not only to increase green cover but also to enhance biodiversity, improve air quality, and offer recreational and educational spaces for citizens.

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*Story by Utsav Gupta*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/mp-news-state-achieves-60-plantation-target-bhopal-hills-to-bloom-by-2026

Nashik: 55,000 Indigenous Trees Planted At Saptashrungi Fort Under Jai Hind Lok Movement

Under the guidance of former minister Balasaheb Thorat and former MLC Dr. Sudhir Tambe, an impressive initiative has been undertaken to plant 55,000 indigenous trees at Saptashrungi Fort, one of the three and a half Shakti Peethas of Maharashtra. This environmental service has been offered to Saptashrungi Mata on behalf of the Jai Hind Lok Movement during the auspicious occasion of Navratri.

In collaboration with the Maharashtra Government, Nashik SMBT Sevabhavi Trust, Gram Panchayat, and Jai Hind Lok Chalaval, around 55,000 indigenous trees have been planted at the fort located in Vani. Saptashrungi Fort draws a large crowd of devotees every year, with lakhs visiting for darshan during Navratri. To enrich this hilly area with greenery and promote environmental sustainability, Jai Hind Lok Chalaval spearheaded this large-scale tree plantation drive.

The responsibility for the upkeep of these trees has been entrusted to the SMBT Sevabhavi Trust. The plantation includes a variety of species such as pipal, umber, lemon, vad, as well as medicinal plants, carefully selected to suit the local ecosystem.

The Maharashtra Government Forest Department and Jai Hind Lok Movement have coordinated the scientific planting of these trees by digging trenches on all four sides of Saptashrungi Fort. To ensure adequate water supply, drip irrigation systems have been installed. Additionally, tree guards have been appointed through charitable efforts to safeguard the young plants. The Gram Panchayat has also extended significant cooperation throughout this endeavour.

Principal Dashrath Varpe, Coordinator of the Dandakaranya Abhiyan, highlighted the involvement of local citizens in planting and maintaining the trees, stating that this collective effort will greatly enhance the greenery of the region within the next two to three years.

Dr. Sudhir Tambe, Founder and Former MLC of Jai Hind, reflected on the historical roots of this movement, saying, “Freedom fighter Sahakar Maharshi Bhausaheb Thorat initiated the Dandakaranya Abhiyan, an environmental movement dedicated to protecting the living world. Under this campaign, crores of seeds have been sown on the barren hills of Sangamner taluka, resulting in the planting of lakhs of trees and a significant increase in the area’s greenery.”

He added, “Under the leadership of former minister Balasaheb Thorat, the environmental movement has expanded from the Sahyadri to the Satpura ranges. The recent tree plantation at Saptashrungi Fort, carried out under the initiative of SMBT Sevabhavi Trust, is a testament to this continued commitment.”

This collaborative effort beautifully blends cultural reverence with ecological responsibility, ensuring that the sacred landscape of Saptashrungi remains vibrant and thriving for generations to come.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/nashik-55000-indigenous-trees-planted-at-saptashrungi-fort-under-jai-hind-lok-movement

City of Fremantle falls aggressively behind on canopy cover target, set for boost in tree planting to keep up

The City of Fremantle has fallen significantly behind its targets to boost canopy cover, and it will now need to plant trees for an additional four years just to meet 80 per cent of its original goal. However, Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge emphasized that several mitigating factors contributed to the shortfall, including reduced budgets during the COVID years, and stressed that the issue has not been ignored.

Fremantle councillors adopted the Urban Forest Plan in 2017, which outlined the number of trees the council needed to plant over the following decade to achieve its ambitious goal: increasing canopy cover from 13 per cent to 20 per cent. Despite a 2021 decision to revise targets downward by 20 per cent, tree plantings have continued to lag further behind.

In 2023, the council resolved to plant just 600 trees annually in 2024 and 2025 as part of a budget-constrained reset. The city successfully planted 600 trees this year, but this was 838 fewer than the revised target of 1,438, and a substantial 1,198 short of the initial goal of 1,798. The previous year’s planting numbers were also below target, with 533 trees planted—687 fewer than the revised target of 1,220 and 992 fewer than the initial goal of 1,525.

Over the eight years since the program began, the city has planted 5,519 trees. This represents a 33 per cent shortfall compared to its revised target of 8,264 and nearly 50 per cent less than the original goal of 10,330 trees.

Earlier this year, the council requested the chief executive to present a revised target, data on the cumulative shortfall, and a timeline for delivery. All figures are to be published on the city’s website and updated annually. To support this initiative, a budget of almost $700,000 and a full-time staff member have been allocated for 2025-26 to help manage the project.

Last week, the council voted to aim for planting 900 trees annually over the next six years. This plan is set to surpass the revised target of 10,804 trees by 2031, although this will be four years later than initially scheduled.

At the meeting, Councillor Adin Lang acknowledged criticisms from residents and the Fremantle Environmental Network regarding missed targets but described the initial goal as very ambitious.

“I guess you can have a crazy, ambitious goal, but not all of them may be achievable,” he said. “Acknowledging that and extending it by a few years is pretty sensible.”

Mayor Fitzhardinge also highlighted other contributing factors to the shortfall, introducing an amendment noting that it was caused by a lack of initial resourcing, reduced budgets during COVID-affected years, and the unavailability of high-quality planting stock.

“I wanted to just make it clear that we didn’t sort of have an ‘oops’ moment that we had a shortfall of trees,” she said. “There were fairly considered and extensive discussions of trees at every budget that we’ve considered together. It seems a bit rough to read back and just say we had a target and we missed it; there were some factors that contributed to that—it wasn’t just a blind error.”

Councillor Ben Lawver welcomed the renewed investment in tree planting, emphasizing that it forms part of a broader push to increase canopy cover.

“We also have a policy that will be coming back to a future council and other items that could potentially help us grow our urban canopy,” he said. “While it is very important that we plant street trees, and plant trees in our parks and reserves, it is the loss of trees on private property that is really dragging our canopy coverage down.”

Last year, the council found itself at the center of a saga over the protection of a century-old Moreton Bay fig tree on private land. Landowners requested the council to remove the fig from the significant tree list. Protection was stripped from the tree, then reinstated after public backlash, before being removed again.

Councillor Lang concluded by saying it was critical to deliver on targets, allocate budgets, and get trees in the ground. However, the next step would involve refining the work based on the data collected and published.

“We’re using the data and we’re going to get better,” he said. “Hopefully, we can hone in on locations we need to work on and maximize the value of what we’re planting.”
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/environment/city-of-fremantle-stumped-in-plans-to-boost-tree-canopy-cover-c-19835826

Bear Attacks Surge as Fatality Rate Reaches 24%

Autumn is the most dangerous season in Japan as bears become highly active in search of food before winter hibernation. The country is home to two bear species: the brown bear, or higuma, found in Hokkaido, and the Asiatic black bear, or tsukinowaguma, which lives in Honshu and Shikoku.

A large brown bear can stand nearly three meters tall and possesses enough strength to break a horse’s neck with a single blow. Remarkably, they can sprint 100 meters in as little as six seconds, while black bears cover the same distance in about eight seconds. The fatality rate for victims attacked by brown bears is 24 percent, compared to just 2.3 percent for black bears.

Between April and August 2025, 69 people were injured or killed by bears—matching the pace from two years earlier, when an acorn shortage triggered the worst year on record for bear-related incidents.

Surveys conducted since 2018 by the Environment Ministry have confirmed new areas of bear habitation, with populations expanding across Japan except in Shikoku. Hokkaido’s brown bear population has more than doubled over the past 30 years, while black bears have expanded their range by 1.4 times. Today, Chiba Prefecture remains the only part of Honshu without wild bears, and the species is extinct in Kyushu.

The surge in bear numbers is linked to shifts in human society. During the early 20th century, widespread hunting for pelts and gallbladders—used in traditional medicine—threatened bear populations with extinction in some regions. However, following the introduction of a new protection framework in 1999, combined with population decline and abandoned farmland providing more food, bear populations rebounded rapidly.

As their habitats have extended closer to towns and villages, many bears have lost their natural fear of humans. This has led to more frequent appearances in residential areas, increasingly referred to as “urban bears.”

Experts emphasize that both population management and deterrence measures are essential. Mayumi Yokoyama, a professor at the University of Hyogo, highlights the need to capture not only bears that enter towns but also those living near homes to reduce overall numbers. At the same time, food sources such as persimmons and garbage should be controlled, and electric fences installed around farmland to deter bears.

In 2024, the government removed bears from its list of protected species and reclassified them as managed wildlife, alongside deer and wild boar. This change permits more aggressive population control through concentrated hunting. Since September, municipalities have also been authorized to permit the use of hunting rifles in urban areas.

Bears have long been familiar figures in Japanese folklore—from legends of Kintaro wrestling a bear to tales of coexistence with nature. Yet, the growing frequency of bear encounters underscores the need for modern solutions.

As experts warn, only by combining careful population management with preventive measures can people and bears continue to coexist in today’s Japan.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/146950.php