India celebrates 66-year-old festival, Van Mahotsav: 18 environment protection quotes

Van Mahotsav has been celebrated in India since 1950 and is known as Forest Day.

Van Mahotsav

Van Mahotsav is a festival that is celebrated in India since 1950 and is also known as Forest Day. The festival happens over a period of seven days and will be celebrated from July 1 to July 7. The festival aims at increasing the green cover of India. The day was established 66 years ago by the Ministry of Agriculture and has contributed in planting lakhs of trees in the entire country.

This year the Maharashtra state government has taken upon itself to give the state a green makeover. The recent Maharashtra drought acted as an eye-opener for the state. The lack of green cover or forests not only harms the ecosystem of the animals, but also disturbs the delicate balance of nature. Droughts and floods are a great indicator of this disturbance.

Realising the gravity of the problem, even the Indian Army has taken up the plantation drive and is aiming at planting lakhs of tree saplings in the state of Maharashtra. Reportedly, the army and the state government have already planted at least seven or eight lakh trees across Maharashtra's state capital, Mumbai.

Here are a few quotes from famous personalities and environmentalists who want people to realize the immediate threat of climate change and pollution: