India’s forest cover has increased by 1% in the last five years and the new government has higher goals to achieve, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, said on Thursday.

The minister was on his first-ever visit to Mumbai after taking charge as a Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi government. Mr. Javadekar planted three saplings at Gulshan Mahal, the historic building on the Films Division premises that houses part of National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) .

“With the amount of oxygen we consume in a lifetime, all of us must plant and help grow at least 10 trees in order to save mother earth. It is our duty towards the country, as well as the environment,” he said.

The minister said environmental progress will only be possible in the next five years through people’s participation. Mr. Javadekar unveiled a campaign called #SelfiewithSapling, urging everyone to plant a sapling and to post a selfie with it on social media. The minister also undertook his first visit to NMIC, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on January 19. Mr. Javadekar interacted with around 100 television and film personalities.

Film director Shyam Benegal, actors Ragini Khanna, Anupam Kher, Poonam Dhillon, Divya Dutta, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Jackie Shroff, directors Subhash Ghai and Ketan Mehta, director-producer Ramesh Sippy, veteran Marathi theatre and film director Jabbar Patel, former Mumbai Sheriff Kiran Shantaram, actor-director Satish Kaushik, producers Sidharth Roy Kapur and Sajid Nadiadwala were among those present.

“We should give our children the clean and safe environment they deserve. With technological developments happening at such a high pace, it is our responsibility to be sensitive towards mother earth,” Mr. Kher said.

National award-winning actor Ms. Dutta said each day must be celebrated as Environment Day. “We should do our bit by making sure that at least our nearby surroundings are clean, green and healthy,” she said.