Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday sharply criticised government officials for making exaggerated claims about tree plantation during the Van Mahotsav celebrations, urging them to stop "boasting and falsehood" and focus on real environmental outcomes.
Addressing the gathering, Kataria questioned the credibility of annual plantation figures released by government departments. He remarked that every year officials claim to have planted lakhs or even crores of saplings, adding that if all those figures were accurate, "not even an inch of land would have remained vacant."
Calling for honesty and accountability, the Administrator said exaggerated claims and misleading reports had become a habit. He stressed that officials should stop inflating numbers and instead ensure that plantation drives translate into visible environmental improvements on the ground.
Kataria also referred to earlier afforestation campaigns, noting that despite departments receiving recognition in Delhi, several hill slopes remained barren years later. He urged officials to introspect and evaluate the actual impact of their initiatives rather than celebrating inflated achievements.
At the same time, he acknowledged the success of Chandigarh's long-term environmental efforts, stating that the city's green cover has reached 51.6 per cent, the highest in the country, thanks to sustained collective action.
Emphasising the importance of ecological conservation, Kataria warned that simply claiming to plant trees would not address environmental challenges. He underlined that forests are essential for maintaining water resources and food security, adding that without trees there would be no water, and without water, agriculture and food production would suffer.
The Administrator called upon officials and citizens alike to ensure that plantation campaigns are measured by the survival and growth of trees rather than by the number of saplings planted.
