World Environment Day: Did You Check Last Year’s Saplings Too?

Every year, on World Environment Day, we plant trees and take pictures. But one question remains ignored — Are the saplings we planted last year still alive?

Tree plantation has now become more of a performative event — where responsibility takes a backseat and publicity takes center stage.

What we need is “tree nurturing”, where every plant becomes our responsibility. If every citizen commits to taking care of a single sapling throughout the year, greenery won’t just be confined to posters but will return to the soil as well.
Let’s celebrate Environment Day not for photos, but for the future.

When We Think of Environment Day…
…the first image that comes to mind is of a few people standing with a green plant — not holding a shovel or a watering can, but a mobile camera. Their faces show more of a smile for the photo than any real commitment to saving the environment.

Environment Day has now become “Selfie Day” — not about planting trees, but uploading pictures.
But the real question is — Did you check on the saplings you planted last year?
Or were they just part of a Facebook post?

Through this article, I wish to raise a serious and much-needed question — Have we turned plantation into an opportunity for visibility, instead of a responsibility? Has greenery been reduced to just a photograph?

Greener in Figures, Barren on Ground
Governments claim to plant millions of saplings every year. They present grand statistics — how forest cover has increased, how thousands of hectares have been greened.

But how many of those saplings actually survived?
The reality is: without proper care, watering, or protection, planted saplings don’t become part of a forest — they simply merge into the soil. But we count them as greenery in our statistics.

Concern for the Environment Ends with the Photo
In today’s world, concern for the environment lasts only as long as it can be publicized.
As soon as the camera turns off, so does our sense of responsibility.

Public institutions, schools, offices, even politicians and officials — for all of them, tree plantation has become just another event, where the goal is to get likes and shares, not roots and growth.

Did you name the tree you planted last year? Did you visit it even once a month?
No?
Because we’ve trapped tree plantation inside a photo frame — instead of making it part of our lives.

Not Just Plantation, We Need Nurturing
Our ancient scriptures, our culture, and even the cycle of life place trees at the highest importance.

A person may be born under a Peepal tree, receive education under a Banyan tree, and take their final journey carried on wood.

Yet we neglect trees once their use is over.

Crores of rupees are spent annually on plantation drives — but not on the protection or nurturing of those trees.

What we need is tree care, not just tree planting.
In the Name of Development – We Destroy
Cities cut down large trees in the name of "development" — to widen roads, build malls, lay power lines.

Authorities claim, “For every tree cut, we’ll plant two.”

But do those two saplings get enough space?
Are they protected from animals or vandals?
Is there someone to water them?

Development has removed nature from its definition — it now exists only as a formality.
Green Schools, Only on Competition Day
Schools host speech contests, drawing events, and essay writing on Environment Day.
Children memorize poems about the importance of trees.

But did any school ensure the saplings planted were cared for the rest of the year?
Was it ever recorded in a child’s progress report —
“Abhijeet nurtured a Banyan sapling throughout the year”?
No. Because for us, trees are an exam topic — not a part of life.

Same Repetition Every Year – Then What’s the Solution?
We all know trees are vital for rainfall, climate, oxygen, and life itself.
But we become conscious only on June 5th.

So, what can we do?

One Person – One Tree – One Year of Care
Let’s make this a mandatory campaign through governments, schools, and local bodies.
Encourage native species — like Peepal, Neem, Moringa, Mango, Banyan, etc., as they are more sustainable and beneficial.

Assign a unique code to each plant for tracking.
Host Tree Care Contests in schools, and include the care report in students’ assessments.

Under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), survival rates of saplings — not just planting numbers — should be made mandatory.

Let’s not just post a photo, but also the pledge: “I will nurture this tree for one year.”

What We Need Is a Mindset Shift
Until we treat trees as living beings with rights, and ourselves as their guardians, no policy or scheme will succeed.

Do you remember the sapling you planted last year? Do you know where it is now?
If not — then before planting another, make a commitment to be its caretaker.

Now It’s Essential
Environment Day is not just a date — it’s a consciousness.

A tree is not just wood — it is life.
Planting is not just an event — it must be an emotional bond.

This year, don’t just say “Plant a Tree.”
Instead say —
“I will help it grow into a Tree.”

– Priyanka Saurabh

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