Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, 12 July announced that India's Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) had completed the planting of 7 crore trees over the past seven years, marking a significant milestone in the Centre's large-scale afforestation push. Shah made the remarks while addressing a major plantation drive in Ahmedabad, where he also inaugurated 101 Oxygen Parks across the city.

Key Announcements at the Drive

Shah disclosed that 43 lakh trees had been planted at the Delhi Ridge just two days prior to the event, describing both efforts as part of a broader national campaign to expand India's green cover. He confirmed that the CAPF milestone of 7 crore trees was achieved only the previous day, calling it a reflection of the armed forces' commitment beyond their core security mandate.

The minister emphasised that every sapling selected under the campaign belongs to native species suited to Indian climatic conditions, with a lifespan exceeding 100 years. 'Not a single one of these trees has a lifespan of less than 100 years. We have deliberately selected trees that live for more than a century,' Shah said.

Native Species and Biodiversity Focus

Shah specifically highlighted species such as banyan and peepal, noting their dual role in carbon absorption and biodiversity support. 'Plant a banyan tree or a peepal tree, and that one tree alone provides shelter, food and water for thousands of birds,' he said. The newly inaugurated Oxygen Parks in Ahmedabad, he added, are also designed to serve as habitats for butterflies and other urban wildlife.

Public Participation Under 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam'

The Ahmedabad drive has taken on the character of a people's movement following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's launch of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative. According to Shah, more than 1,37,000 residents of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency registered online to plant five trees each, with saplings delivered directly to participants through a scientifically planned distribution system.

An additional 28,544 residents from Ahmedabad's other two parliamentary constituencies also joined the drive, Shah noted. Several private organisations have adopted large numbers of trees for a period of three years, taking on responsibility for their maintenance, watering, and replacement where necessary.

Broader Context and What's Next

The plantation event coincided with the inauguration of 101 Oxygen Parks and multiple civic development projects across Ahmedabad, making it one of the city's largest coordinated green-cover initiatives. This comes amid the Centre's sustained push to align environmental conservation with development goals — a theme that has gained traction across state governments as well.

With the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign continuing to mobilise citizen participation, the government's next benchmark will be whether afforestation targets translate into verifiable, long-term tree survival rates — a metric that environmentalists have long flagged as the true test of plantation drives.