In such dry weather conditions, protection of saplings has become quite difficult for us,' B.R. Ahirwar, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Kanpur, told IANS over telephone.

'If such weather conditions continue to prevail, we may not be able to meet the target.'

In Kanpur, only 35 percent of the targeted saplings were planted in July. The situation is similar in other divisions also.

Only 40-45 percent of the total saplings were planted in Agra, Bareilly, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Basti, Lucknow, Jhansi divisions last month, officials said.

There is not a single district in the state where rainfall has been above normal this season.

The state capital Lucknow has received lowest rainfall in two decades. From June 1 to July 31, Lucknow recorded 192.3 mm rainfall against the normal of 357.9 mm for this period.