LUCKNOW, June 27 -- Children born in the first week of July will receive a sapling and a Green Gold Certificate as a gift from the Uttar Pradesh government. The initiative, a part of Van Mahotsav, the annual plantation drive, will include all government health facilities - district hospitals, community health centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs), and other government healthcare facilities. Till the child grows up, it will be the responsibility of the parents to plant and protect the sapling. Under the Van Mahotsav - which runs between July 1 and July 7 - divisional forest officers have been directed to visit hospitals and coordinate with health officials to ensure that every institutional delivery is marked by the gifting of a sapling and a certificate. Priority will be given to tree species such as Teak and Sheesham for gift-giving purposes. Parents will also be encouraged to plant the saplings in vacant spaces and take responsibility for their care. The 'Green Gold Certificate' will serve as a lifelong reminder of the child's bond with nature and the shared responsibility of safeguarding the environment, said the official.htc...