CM Bhupendra Patel Plants Trees in Amreli Under Modi's Campaign
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Under the canopy of Gujarat's monsoon sky, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined villagers at Varsada village in Amreli district on 14 August 2026 to plant trees as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign — a drive that has turned the act of planting a tree into a tribute to one's mother.
The event, organised in collaboration with Sadbhavna Trust, saw the plantation of around 5,000 trees at the site. CM Patel personally participated in the tree-planting and called on villagers to take up collective responsibility for nurturing the saplings — not just planting them and walking away.
A National Campaign Takes Root in Gujarat's Villages
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' on World Environment Day, 5 June 2024, framing tree plantation as an emotional and civic act — honouring mothers while healing the planet. Gujarat has steadily channelled this central initiative through local partnerships, with trusts and gram panchayats becoming the operational backbone of the drive.
Varsada's scale — 5,000 trees at a single village event — signals the kind of concentrated, community-anchored push that state governments have leaned on to show tangible progress. Sadbhavna Trust's involvement reflects the model: civil society and government moving together rather than the state acting alone.
The Call to Villages: Plant, Then Protect
CM Patel's message at Varsada went beyond the ceremonial shovel-in-the-ground moment. He urged residents to take on the shared duty of nurturing every sapling planted — recognising that survival rates, not planting numbers, are what actually expand forest cover. India's net-zero commitment by 2070 depends on exactly this distinction.
Gujarat's consistent participation in centrally driven afforestation schemes, backed by local trust networks, positions the state as a model for how national environmental goals get translated into village-level action. The real test, as always, comes in the seasons after the cameras leave.