How Did the Gujarat Government Honor Environmental Champions on PM Modi's Birthday?

Gandhinagar, Sep 16 (NationPress) In celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 75th birthday and World Ozone Day, the Gujarat government honored 19 individuals and eco-conscious organizations with the Climate Change Awards 2025-26 during a ceremony held in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

The awards were distributed across seven categories, acknowledging significant contributions in areas such as tree plantation, renewable energy, waste management, water conservation, sustainable research, and community-focused green initiatives.

Mulubhai Bera, the State Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Minister, presented the awards and stated that Gujarat is constructing a 'green shield' to tackle the global issue of climate change through widespread public involvement in tree plantation efforts.

He highlighted the success of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' campaign, which has seen the state plant over 7.5 crore trees, showcasing Gujarat's dedication to sustainability.

The ceremony also recognized 56 additional organizations and activists acknowledged by the Sadbhavana Trust for their unwavering commitment to environmental preservation and tree conservation.

The top three awardees were awarded cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000 respectively.

Minister Bera commended the recipients for their commitment, reminding attendees that it was PM Modi, in his capacity as Gujarat's Chief Minister in 2009, who founded Asia's first dedicated Climate Change Department.

This initiative has evolved into a model for confronting global environmental challenges such as cyclones, floods, landslides, and earthquakes, which are increasingly associated with climate change.

Furthermore, he emphasized Gujarat's green corridor initiative, which has resulted in the planting of over 20,000 trees along the Somnath-Dwarka highway as a pilot project, with plans to expand this effort to more than 600 highways statewide.

Another remarkable achievement was noted in Morbi, where the Sadbhavana Trust established a Miyawaki forest comprising 10 lakh trees over 1,200 hectares in a record time of just 37 days, set to be inaugurated on Wednesday by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The state has allocated Rs 100 crore to install solar panels on all government buildings, marking Gujarat's commitment to meet its 2030 goal of sourcing 50% of its electricity from renewable energy.

"This green shield movement has transformed into a genuine people’s campaign," Minister Bera remarked, encouraging citizens to minimize single-use plastics and endorse sustainable practices.

This year’s award winners included the Gandhinagar-Palaj Primary School (educational institution), Shree Ramkrishna Exports Private Limited (industrial unit), and Dr. Upendra Patel (individual category).

For research, Shah Manan Rajiv secured the first prize, while the Gujarat Environment Management Institute (GEMI) earned recognition for public awareness.

The start-up Eshitwa Robotics Systems Private Limited was acknowledged for eco-innovation, and Falguni Joshi excelled in the women entrepreneurs category.

Sadbhavana Trust President Vijay Dobariya stated that countless citizens are contributing crores of rupees to tree plantation initiatives throughout Gujarat and committed to planting 15 crore trees by 2030 to establish a greener legacy for future generations.

Since its inception in 2021-22, the Climate Change Awards have emerged as an annual tribute to citizens and institutions fostering positive climate action in Gujarat.

This year, the department received 25 applications, with 19 selected for awards.

Numerous senior officials from the Forest and Climate Change Department, Gujarat Energy Development Agency, and various NGOs attended the ceremony.