Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, 12 July said that Ahmedabad's ongoing mass tree plantation campaign has the potential to reduce the city's temperature by at least five per cent over the coming years. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating 101 Oxygen Parks, Shah called for sustained public participation to combat urban warming and the broader effects of climate change.

Scale of the Campaign

Shah said 1.25 crore trees were being planted across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in a single day, while Ahmedabad's three parliamentary constituencies were simultaneously conducting a drive to plant five million trees. Approximately 1.67 lakh citizens had already joined the effort by planting trees within their own residential colonies, according to Shah.

The minister noted that 61 new Oxygen Parks had been added to the existing 12 in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, bringing the total to 73. A digital directory cataloguing each park's location, tree species, and facilities has been prepared by the civic body to allow citizens to monitor the initiative's progress.

What Amit Shah Said

'If Gandhinagar is to become green and Ahmedabad is to become green, it cannot happen without people's participation. I firmly believe this campaign will reduce our city's temperature by at least five per cent in the coming years,' Shah said.

He also underscored the environmental rationale, noting that rising emissions from vehicles and industries had elevated carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels, straining the ozone layer and driving up temperatures. 'If we want the earth to remain habitable four generations from now, then these trees must absorb carbon dioxide as their food,' he said.

Link to PM Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' Initiative

Shah attributed the campaign's momentum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationwide 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) initiative, which urges every citizen to plant a tree as a tribute to their mother. He connected the drive to Modi's guiding principle of 'People, Planet and Progress', arguing that development and environmental stewardship must advance together.

Shah stressed that the species selected for planting are native trees capable of surviving for over a century, providing habitats and food for birds while supporting local biodiversity — a deliberate choice to ensure the campaign delivers lasting ecological value rather than a symbolic gesture.

Broader Environmental Programme

The plantation drive is part of Ahmedabad's wider environmental agenda, which also encompasses urban forest expansion and oxygen park development alongside civic infrastructure projects unveiled at Sunday's event. Officials indicated that the initiative is designed for long-term environmental impact, with citizen monitoring mechanisms built in from the outset.

As Indian cities grapple with intensifying urban heat islands, Ahmedabad's scale-first approach — combining mass plantation, biodiversity-conscious species selection, and public participation — will be closely watched as a potential model for other metropolitan centres.