Salary of government officials may be withheld if they fail to plant four saplings each by August 31 according to an order of Kanpur district administration.

The city has only 0.57 per cent trees, whereas for a healthy environment there should be at least 33 percent green cover, District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram told PTI.

Many measures have been taken to make the masses aware about planting trees, he said, adding around hundred district officials have participated in the campaign.

The government had also issued an order directing the district officers to plant at least four saplings.

The DM said all the government departments have been given August 31 as a deadline to carry out the order.

Surprise inspection will be carried out by officials from district administration to see if the order has been carried out, he said.

If saplings are not planted as per the target then the month's salary of the employees will be held, Meshram said.

The DM has also appealed to the private organisations to help the government in carrying out this tree planting campaign successfully.