Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, launched a mass plantation drive in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency of Gujarat, during which more than one crore trees were planted by citizens in the constituency alone. During the campaign, an additional 50 lakh trees were planted in Ahmedabad city.

Shah said that the mantra of ‘People, Planet with Progress’ has become a people’s movement, and every citizen in the country has become a part of it with the call of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that over seven crore trees have been planted by the Central Armed Police Forces across the country over the last seven years, and a large-scale plantation programme was also carried out in Delhi two days ago. The trees being planted are indigenous to India’s ecological conditions, and some have a lifespan of over 100 years.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation opened 101 new oxygen parks in one day, and 61 new parks were opened in the Gandhinagar constituency, raising the total to 73. The Corporation has also launched a special vehicle service to bring saplings to the homes of citizens who want to plant them.

Shah said the plantation drive is expected to help reduce temperatures in the city in the coming years compared to other cities. He said that within his constituency, green cover has improved by 11.23 per cent in four cities — Sanand, Gandhinagar, Kalol and Ahmedabad — and is expected to reach 20 per cent by 2029.

Shah expressed satisfaction with the progress in clean energy in the region, with Gandhinagar having the highest number of solar rooftop installations among all Lok Sabha constituencies. He appealed to people to ensure that not a single house, apartment or rooftop is left without solar installation. He also said that 325 new AMTS and BRTS buses introduced today will help replace Ahmedabad’s polluting buses.