Noida, Jul 5 (PTI) Over nine lakh saplings were planted in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday as part of a mega afforestation drive of the Uttar Pradesh government across the state, officials said.A total of 9.08 lakh saplings were planted at 921 sites across the district against the target of 8.56 lakh, they added."As part of the Van Mahotsav programme of the Uttar Pradesh government, a target of 25 crore plantations was set for the entire state on Tuesday. In Gautam Buddh Nagar, the target was not only achieved but more saplings were planted," according to an official statement."The forest department planted over 2.75 lakh saplings while other departments, including the Noida Authority, the Greater Noida Authority and the Yamuna Expressway Authority, planted 6.33 lakh saplings," the statement read.Narendra Bhooshan, the Uttar Pradesh government"s nodal officer for Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lok Sabha MP Mahesh Sharma, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, Dadri MLA Tejpal Nagar, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, District Magistrate Suhas L Yathiraj and Divisional Forest Officer Pramod Kumar Shrivastava participated in the mega plantation drive.They lauded the public participation in the initiative, appealed for the safeguarding of the saplings and called on people for enhancing the green cover in their areas, according to the statement. PTI KIS RC