Union Home Minister Amit Shah participated in a tree plantation drive in the Thalte ward of Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Sunday, 12 July 2026, under the national campaign Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam. The drive was held in the Ghatlodia assembly constituency, which Shah represents in the Lok Sabha as the sitting MP from Gandhinagar.

What Shah Said

Posting in Hindi and Gujarati, Shah wrote: 'આજે ઘાટલોડિયા વિધાનસભાના થલતેજ વોર્ડમાં વૃક્ષારોપણ કર્યું' ('Today I planted trees in the Thalte ward of Ghatlodia assembly area'). He added that trees are 'the most effective medium for maintaining the Earth's temperature balance and protecting the environment.' Shah also cited figures from his post, claiming that Gandhinagar's green coverage has grown by 11.25 per cent over the last six years, reaching 2,729 hectares, calling it evidence of a commitment to sustainable development. The post was accompanied by four photographs from the plantation event.

Context: Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam

The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam ('One Tree in Mother's Name') campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2024 as a nationwide initiative encouraging citizens to plant a tree as a tribute to their mothers. The campaign has since been adopted by central and state government officials, elected representatives, and citizens across the country as part of India's broader afforestation push. Sunday's plantation drive in Gandhinagar represents one such local expression of the campaign, carried out by Shah in his own parliamentary constituency.

Policy Backdrop: Urban Green Cover in Gujarat

Gujarat has pursued urban forestry and green cover enhancement programmes under successive state administrations, aligning with national frameworks such as the Green India Mission. Gandhinagar, as the state capital and a planned city, has been a focal point for such initiatives. The figures cited by Shah in his post — a 11.25 per cent increase in green coverage over six years — reflect the kind of metrics that state and municipal bodies track under sustainable urban development goals, though independent verification of these specific numbers awaits the next official forest survey cycle.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate beneficiaries of urban plantation drives are Gandhinagar's residents, who stand to gain from improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and enhanced green public spaces. The Gujarat state forest department and municipal bodies are the primary implementing agencies for such green cover targets. At a national level, India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forests and tree cover by 2030 under its climate commitments, making constituency-level drives part of a larger accounting framework.

What's Next

The release of the next India State of Forest Report will provide an independent assessment of whether Gandhinagar's green cover gains match the figures cited. Observers will also watch whether the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam plantation drive is extended to additional wards and districts across Gujarat in the coming weeks, particularly as the monsoon season — the preferred window for tree planting — is currently under way.