Mohali, July 5 -- The Mohali forest division is aiming to plant 6.5 lakh saplings this monsoon, nearly double the target of 3.5 lakh last year. This year's campaign prioritises the survival and sustained growth of trees as well as achieving plantation targets. The idea is to expand the district's green cover while also improving biodiversity, urban air quality and climate resilience. Of the total target, government departments will plant 2.5 lakh saplings while the remaining 4 lakh will be planted directly by the forest department with support from educational institutions, industries, village panchayats, resident welfare associations, Eco Clubs, NGOs, farmers and members of the public. The additional deputy commissioner (development)-cum-rural development and panchayats department has got the largest target of two lakh saplings, accounting for nearly 80% of the departmental allocation. In Mohali, saplings are mostly planted between New Chandigarh and the Siswan road area. One of the campaign's key highlights is the development of 23 forests through the Miyawaki method at educational institutions, hospitals and industrial establishments. Miyawaki method is a unique tree-planting technique that creates dense, self-sustaining, native mini-forests. The plantations will include indigenous species, including Peepal, Banyan, Neem, Jamun, Arjun, Shisham, Kachnar, Amaltas, Amla and Bahera, selected for their ecological value and adaptability to local conditions. Special emphasis will also be laid on planting Trivenis, a sacred combination of Peepal, Neem and Banyan (Bohar), which hold both ecological and cultural significance. Officials said the campaign has been designed after reviewing the outcomes of previous plantation programmes. According to the forest department, plantations carried out under its supervision have consistently recorded a first-year survival rate of around 78%, attributed to systematic maintenance and continuous monitoring. Plantation sites are monitored not only by the department's dedicated monitoring wing but are also periodically assessed by expert teams from the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun. To replicate these results, every department has been directed to appoint nodal officers responsible for supervising plantation sites and ensuring proper aftercare. Mohali divisional forest officer Amneet Singh (IFS) said, "The true success of any plantation drive lies not in the number of saplings planted, but in the number of trees that survive and flourish." He appealed to citizens, educational institutions and organisations to actively participate in the campaign, protect heritage trees and help nurture thesaplings so they grow into healthy trees....