Record-breaking: India plants 66 million trees in 12 hours

More than 1.5 million volunteers take part in the plantation drive

As a part of a record-breaking environmental drive, volunteers in India managed to plant over 66 million trees in a 12-hour period.

According to The Independent, about 1.5 million people took part in the huge plantation campaign, in which saplings were placed along the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh state throughout Sunday.

India has committed under the Paris Agreement to increase its forests by 95 million hectares before 2030 in an effort to combat climate change.

Last year, volunteers in Uttar Pradesh state set a world record by planting more than 50 million trees in one day.

Observers from Guinness World Records also monitored Sunday's plantation and are expected to verify in the coming weeks that the effort set a new high.

The campaign was organised by the Madhya Pradesh government, with 24 distracts of the Narmada river basin chosen as planting sites to increase the saplings' chances to survive. Volunteers planted more than 20 different species of trees.

Shirvraj Singh Chouhan, the state's chief minister, described the efforts as a "historic day".

He said volunteers, including children and the elderly, had planted 66.3 million saplings between 7am and 7pm, adding in a tweet: "By planting trees we are not only serving Madhya Pradesh but the world at large."

I am extremely proud to happily share that people of Madhya Pradesh successfully planted 6.63 Crore saplings today. #MPPlants6CroreTrees pic.twitter.com/5jlJcApomi

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (मोदी का परिवार ) (@ChouhanShivraj) July 2, 2017

India is the world's third largest generator of carbon emissions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month reiterated his country's commitment to the Paris climate accord after the US withdrew from the deal.

“The protection of the environment and the mother planet is an article of faith,” he said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.