DEHLI, August 11 (WNM) - The trees were all planted by 5 p.m. Friday in northern Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of more than 200 million people.

Forest official Bivhas Ranjan said students, lawmakers, officials and other residents planted dozens of species of saplings along roads, railroad tracks and in forests. The goals are to increase forest cover and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted a plea to young people to "save Mother Earth" and improve the environment for future generations. "We set the target of 220 million because Uttar Pradesh is home to 220 million people," he said.

"The whole process is online," state government spokesman Awanish Awasthi said. "The pits are geo-tagged and the saplings carry a QR code. So we can record how many saplings are planted and where."