AHMEDABAD — In a major stride towards green urban infrastructure and sustainable development, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah led a massive environmental and civic welfare rollout in Ahmedabad.
During the high-profile event held at Science City, Minister Shah officially launched the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) ambitious ‘Mission Five Million Trees’ initiative. Alongside this historic plantation push, the Union Minister inaugurated 101 newly developed Oxygen Parks across the city and unveiled or laid the foundation stones for multi-sectoral civic development works valued at ₹405 crore.
The event was attended by prominent state leaders, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and Minister of State for Urban Development Darshana Vaghela, alongside top administrative officials.
The Green Movement: Scaling Urban Forests via ‘Mission Five Million Trees’
The cornerstone of the day’s event was a major scale-up of the region’s environmental landscape. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationwide ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, the tree plantation drive has officially evolved into a massive Jan Abhiyan (people’s campaign) focused on ecological preservation.
The campaign features impressive milestones and future targets:
- Massive Regional Footprint: Under the broader ‘Green Gandhinagar Lok Sabha’ drive, an astonishing record of planting over 1.25 crore trees across the constituency was celebrated.
- Targeting Ahmedabad: The standalone ‘Mission Five Million Trees’ initiative is aggressively moving to introduce 50 lakh native saplings across the city’s key dividers, open gardens, and public spaces.
- Long-Term Flora Choice: To guarantee sustainability, the drive prioritizes native tree species with lifespans exceeding 100 years, including Peepal, Banyan, Sheesham, and Goras Ambli.
To maximize public participation, the AMC has integrated digital toolkits into its AMC Seva Mobile Application. Through programs like ‘Green Volunteer’ and ‘Green Societies’, citizens can register online, prompting municipal teams to deliver and plant saplings within residential complexes completely free of cost.
101 Oxygen Parks: Breathing Life Back into Urban Spaces
To counter the growing threats of urban heat islands and carbon emissions, the AMC and the state government developed 101 unique Oxygen Parks.
Spanning an aggregate area of 9.7 lakh square meters, these parks house more than 22.7 lakh carefully nurtured saplings. A significant portion of these new ecological pockets—61 parks—fall directly within the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha jurisdiction, taking its overall tally to 73 fully functional Oxygen Parks. A special e-book detailing the geographic locations and tree counts of all these designated spaces was also released during the ceremony to ensure public access.
₹405 Crore Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility Push
Beyond the massive ecological components, the Union Minister overseen the execution of development frameworks totaling ₹405 crore. The financial package spans public projects undertaken collectively by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), and the state Roads and Buildings Department.
Green Public Transit Integration
As a crucial step towards reducing the city’s carbon footprint, the event featured the flagging off of 155 brand-new, air-conditioned electric BRTS and AMTS buses. This fleet addition forms part of a larger plan to replace older, polluting diesel infrastructure, transitioning Ahmedabad’s municipal transit system into a fully eco-friendly model.
Strategic Corporate Collaboration
To ensure the long-term survival of the newly introduced green cover, the government formally signed and exchanged Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with premier corporate and cooperative institutions, including ITC India Ltd., IFFCO, GUDA, and prominent real estate organizations. These entities have committed to maintaining and protecting the newly developed green zones for a consecutive three-year period.
Key Takeaways
- Mega Green Initiative: Launch of ‘Mission Five Million Trees’ to plant 50 lakh trees across Ahmedabad.
- New Green Hubs: 101 Oxygen Parks holding 22.7 lakh saplings were officially dedicated to the public.
- Financial Package: ₹405 crore worth of public utilities and road infrastructure projects launched.
- Clean Mobility: 155 eco-friendly electric AC transit buses deployed to phase out city vehicular emissions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the primary objective of the ‘Mission Five Million Trees’ campaign?
The campaign aims to rapidly expand the urban tree canopy of Ahmedabad by planting 50 lakh environmentally friendly, native trees along roadsides, dividers, and residential neighborhoods.
How can local citizens participate in the plantation drive?
Residents can apply via the AMC Seva mobile application under the ‘Green Volunteer’ or ‘Green Societies’ initiatives to have municipal teams plant saplings at their homes or housing societies free of charge.
What departments are executing the new ₹405 crore public works?
The infrastructure projects are being jointly executed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), and the Gujarat Roads and Buildings Department.
