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Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a mass plantation drive in Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, where over one crore trees were planted in a single day under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects, taking the total value of completed works in the constituency to INR 28,492 crore. The initiative includes new Oxygen Parks, clean public transport, solar rooftop expansion and measures to increase regional green cover to 20% by 2029.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday launched a large-scale plantation drive and inaugurated as well as laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects across Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The combined initiatives focus on expanding green infrastructure, promoting clean mobility and accelerating urban development.
Addressing a gathering during the programme, Shah said more than one crore trees were planted across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in a single day, including nearly 50 lakh saplings within Ahmedabad city. The campaign forms part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative, which encourages citizens to plant trees in honour of their mothers while promoting environmental conservation.
Shah said the campaign had evolved into a nationwide people's movement aligned with the vision of "People, Planet with Progress". He added that the objective is to create a greener environment, improve air and water quality and ensure a more sustainable future for coming generations.
As part of the initiative, Gandhinagar's network of Oxygen Parks expanded significantly. The constituency, which earlier had 12 Oxygen Parks, added 61 new parks, taking the total to 73. Simultaneously, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation inaugurated 101 Oxygen Parks across the city in a single day, further strengthening its urban green infrastructure.
Highlighting the long-term environmental impact, Shah said the plantation drive is expected to reduce Ahmedabad's average temperature by at least 5% compared to other cities over the coming years. He also noted that native tree species with lifespans exceeding 100 years have been selected to ensure ecological sustainability.
To encourage public participation, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has introduced a dedicated vehicle service to deliver saplings directly to households interested in tree plantation. Shah stressed that community participation is essential for the success of environmental programmes and urged citizens to plant at least one tree to help preserve the ozone layer and improve ecological balance.
The Home Minister also reviewed the region's progress in increasing green cover. He said Sanand, Gandhinagar, Kalol and Ahmedabad have together increased their green cover by 11.23%, with a target of achieving 20% by 2029. He further highlighted that Gandhinagar currently leads all Lok Sabha constituencies in rooftop solar installations and appealed to residents to ensure every suitable building adopts rooftop solar systems.
Alongside the environmental initiatives, Shah inaugurated 22 development projects and laid the foundation stones for seven new projects. He stated that development works worth INR 28,492 crore have been completed across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, covering areas including Ghatlodia, Vejalpur, Sabarmati, Naranpura, Sanand, Gandhinagar North and Kalol.
Among the major announcements was the addition of 325 new AMTS and BRTS buses, which are expected to replace older polluting vehicles and strengthen Ahmedabad's clean public transport network. Shah said the city would no longer operate pollution-causing buses following the induction of the new fleet, reinforcing the government's emphasis on sustainable urban development alongside infrastructure expansion.
Source - PIB
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