Ahmedabad sets Guinness World Record with 3.61 lakh-tree Miyawaki plantation in one hour
Synopsis
Ahmedabad just planted 3.61 lakh trees in 60 minutes and walked away with a Guinness World Record. With 25,000 volunteers, 35 native species, and Home Minister Amit Shah in attendance, the AMC's Bhadaj drive is the most visible signal yet of Gujarat's push to green its fastest-growing city — and a template other urban bodies will be watching.
Key Takeaways
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) planted 3.61 lakh saplings in one hour on 12 July , earning a Guinness World Record .
The drive took place at Bhadaj locality near Satvam Heights along the Gota-Godhavi Canal , covering 76,000 sq metres .
More than 25,000 volunteers participated; around 35 indigenous species were planted using the Miyawaki method .
Union Home Minister Amit Shah , CM Bhupendra Patel , and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi attended the event.
The drive is part of a campaign to plant 1.25 crore trees in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency and 50 lakh trees across Ahmedabad.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Sunday, 12 July scripted a Guinness World Record by planting 3.61 lakh saplings using the Miyawaki method within a single hour at the Bhadaj locality in Ahmedabad — one of the largest urban afforestation drives ever undertaken in an Indian city.
Where and How It Happened
The plantation was carried out across 76,000 square metres of a 91,006-square-metre site near Satvam Heights along the Gota-Godhavi Canal in Bhadaj, falling under the Thaltej ward of the city's North-West Zone. More than 25,000 volunteers took part in the campaign, enabling the civic body to achieve the record-setting milestone within the stipulated timeframe.
Who Attended the Event
Union Home Minister and Gandhinagar Member of Parliament Amit Shah was present at the event. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Urban Development and Urban Housing Minister Darshana Vaghela, Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, Gujarat Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das, and Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani also attended alongside other public representatives and officials.
The Miyawaki Method and Species Planted
Around 35 indigenous tree species were planted using the Miyawaki technique, which creates dense, fast-growing urban forests by placing native species in close proximity to one another. Officials said the selected species 'are expected to support biodiversity, improve urban green cover, absorb carbon, help reduce air pollution and contribute to moderating local temperatures as they mature.'
Participants included officials and employees from various AMC departments, the AMC School Board, BAPS organisation, CREDAI, police personnel, National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, social organisations, and thousands of city residents.
Part of a Larger Green Drive
The record-setting event forms part of a broader afforestation campaign targeting 1.25 crore trees across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The AMC separately has committed to planting 50 lakh trees across Ahmedabad. The civic body described the drive as a milestone in the city's environmental conservation efforts and confirmed that similar public participation-based plantation initiatives would continue in the coming months to further expand the city's green cover.
Point of View
But the harder question is survivability. Miyawaki forests are dense by design, and sapling mortality in Gujarat's arid summer climate can be significant without sustained irrigation and maintenance. A record set in one hour means little if a fraction of those 3.61 lakh trees are alive in three years. The AMC's commitment to 50 lakh trees citywide is ambitious, but Ahmedabad's urban heat island problem demands verified canopy cover growth, not just planting numbers. The participation of 25,000 volunteers is genuinely encouraging — the civic challenge now is converting that one-day energy into a multi-year stewardship programme.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What Guinness World Record did Ahmedabad set on 12 July?
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation planted 3.61 lakh saplings using the Miyawaki method within a single hour at Bhadaj, earning a Guinness World Record for one of the largest urban tree plantation drives of its kind. The event took place across 76,000 square metres near the Gota-Godhavi Canal.
What is the Miyawaki method used in Ahmedabad's plantation drive?
The Miyawaki method is a technique that creates dense, fast-growing urban forests by planting native species in close proximity to one another. Around 35 indigenous tree species were used in Ahmedabad's record drive, chosen for their ability to support biodiversity, absorb carbon, and moderate local temperatures.
How many volunteers participated in the Ahmedabad tree plantation record?
More than 25,000 volunteers took part in the campaign, drawn from AMC departments, the AMC School Board, BAPS, CREDAI, NCC cadets, NGOs, educational institutions, and thousands of city residents.
Who attended the Guinness World Record plantation event in Ahmedabad?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Urban Development Minister Darshana Vaghela, Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, and senior officials including Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani attended the event.
How does this drive fit into Ahmedabad's larger green cover plans?
The Bhadaj plantation is part of a wider campaign targeting 1.25 crore trees across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The AMC has separately committed to planting 50 lakh trees across Ahmedabad, with more public participation-based drives planned in the coming months.
