India, June 6 -- A total of 121,000 saplings were planted in Gautam Budh Nagar on World Environment Day on Friday, meeting the target as part of a statewide plantation drive under which the Uttar Pradesh government aimed to plant 50 million saplings in a single day, officials said.

GB Nagar's minister in-charge Brijesh Singh launched the plantation campaign by planting a Maulsari sapling at the Surajpur Wetland. He called upon residents to participate in environmental conservation efforts.

Addressing the gathering, Singh urged residents to turn the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign into a mass movement and plant more trees in line with the state government's environmental initiatives.

"Environmental conservation is the need of the hour. Ev...