The drive was conducted under the Green Maharashtra mission amid fanfare by the BJP government. The aim of the plantation drive was to tackle climate change and increase the forest cover.

Claiming that it had exceeded the target by planting 2.82 crore saplings in a single day, Maharashtra walked into the Limca Book of Records. In the coming monsoon, the state has set a 4 crore target out of which 15 lakh will be planted in Nagpur district.

In Nagpur, Ambazari reserve forest (758 hectares) was the district's official site for plantations. Here, saplings were planted by Nagpur Metro (5,000), dignitaries, forest staff, NGOs, schools, social bodies and individuals (11,000) and individual NGO Anand Fiskey (2,000) in the presence of guardian minister ChandrashekharBawankule. However, barring 5,000 saplings planted by Nagpur Metro, almost all the plantations have died.

Barring a few patches, all the three compartments (758 hectares) have been devastated by fire.

Shockingly, not a single of the 35,000 saplings planted during the 2015 monsoon in compartment number 298 by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has survived. Compensatory afforestation of over 2,500 saplings by NIT too has failed completely.

M & M's Suresh Pandilwar, manager (employees' relations & development) admits that its CSR has failed miserably. "We watered the saplings for 3 months only. The saplings were small and could not survive owing to rocky land," he said.

During TOI's spot visit to Ambazari on Wednesday, it was found that barring a few saplings adjacent to gate number 4 of Hingna MIDC, including the one planted by Bawankule, plantations were nowhere to be seen. In 9 months, the saplings would grown at least a couple of feet.

No forest official is ready to owe responsibility of the failed plantations. Nagpur CCF TSK Reddy said he has handed over the charge after promotion as APCCF. Joint director WI Yatbon of social forestry, which is the nodal agency for plantations, too said he has been promoted as CCF and has no idea. The social forestry department was to monitor the survival rate every three months.

Nagpur deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) G Mallikarjuna was not available for comments.

Hingna RFO CH Patil and area in-charge, who too has been transferred but not relieved yet, denied the mess. He said 80% plantations have survived. "However, mortality may be more due to recent forest fires," he said.

TOI has learnt from sources that saplings were not watered adequately. For 13,000 plants only one tanker was deployed post monsoon season, from October 18. Another tanker was pressed only from April 5, by which time most plants had died or were on the verge of dying.

When Nagpur Metro plants can survive, why can't forest department, having expertise? Patil says, "Metro planted 6-8 feet high saplings while our saplings were of small size. They planted non-forest species while we planted forest species, that too without damaging grass. Hence, our plantations are not visible in tall grass. It will take time for results."

Countering Patil's claims, regular bird watcher in AmbazariAniruddha Bhagat, says, "It is complete negligence. Only one tanker was used to water 13,000 plants. Metro officials are getting water from 5-6 tankers, besides they are also using drip watering system."

Bhagat said lakhs of rupees are spent on fire lines to save forest but foresters have no clues how fires are raging. "No in peak summer, officials are planning to replant the saplings," he added.

NGO SrushtiParyavaran Mandal president Sanjay Deshpande, who visited the spot on Tuesday, too says that the plantations have dried up due to neglect. "Even in rocky patches plants can grow if right species are selected. Fires have caused huge damage to plantations and biodiversity," he said.

"It seems to be a well-organized scam going on for years. Now again forest department will take up plantations in monsoon, and the same story will be repeated," said RTI activist AvinashPrabhune.