Lucknow, Jan 17 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government, this year, will plant 35 crore trees as part of the annual plantation drive.

Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change (independent charge), Arun Kumar Saxena said that the preparations for the plantation will begin in March with soil work while the saplings will be grown in the nurseries.

Last year, there were 35 crore trees that were planted in the state - 25 crore in a day--under the 'Vriksharopan Janandolan 2022'.

The government aims to increase the state's green cover to 15 per cent by 2030 and ambitious plantation targets are being set every year since 2017.

According to the State of Forest Report (SoFR) 2021, 9.2 per cent of the total geographical area (GA) of the state has a green cover (which includes both forest cover and tree cover).

In 2013, it was 8.8 per cent of the state's total GA.

Biennial report for 2021 showed an increase of 91 square kilometres in the green cover during 2019.