Ahmedabad's campaign to expand its urban green cover gathered momentum on Sunday as the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel participated in two mass tree plantation programmes under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) Mission 'Five Million Trees' initiative.
The leaders planted saplings at an AMC plot near Applewood as part of the campaign, which also carried the theme of creating a "Green Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency".They later joined another plantation programme at the Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala plot managed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), where thousands of trees were planted to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign.
According to the organisers, the programmes reaffirmed the commitment to increasing Ahmedabad's green cover, promoting environmental conservation and encouraging wider public participation in tree plantation and tree conservation. Participants also pledged to work towards making the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency greener, cleaner and more environmentally sustainable while ensuring a cleaner and safer environment for future generations.
"The Mission Five Million Trees campaign aims to expand the city's green cover, maintain ecological balance and create public awareness about planting and nurturing trees," the civic body said. During the events, those present appealed to citizens to plant more trees and ensure their long-term care through community participation.
Organisers said the conservation and nurturing of nature was not only a moral and social responsibility but also an integral part of India's cultural values. "Ahmedabad's future could be strengthened through every citizen planting and caring for trees.
Individual efforts as a step towards a healthier and more sustainable city," they said.The programmes drew participation from environmentalists, voluntary organisations, citizens and young volunteers, who joined the plantation drives in large numbers.
Among those present were Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, NDDB Chairman Minesh Shah, Ahmedabad BJP President Prerak Shah, MLAs Amit Thaker, Babu Patel and Jitendra Patel, along with Corporators, civic officials and other public representatives.