Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, 16 May chaired a high-level review meeting in Ahmedabad, assessing a wide range of environmental, infrastructure, and development initiatives tied to the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The centrepiece was the 'Green Lok Sabha – Gandhinagar Lok Sabha' campaign, under which authorities plan to plant more than 1.03 crore saplings during 2026-27 — a 64 per cent jump over the 62.85 lakh saplings planted the previous year.

Scale of the Afforestation Drive

Shah stated in a post on X that more than 1.5 crore trees have been planted across the Gandhinagar constituency over the past three years. He credited these sustained efforts with producing a measurable climate impact: a reduction of 2 to 3 degrees in the average temperature of the constituency, according to his post.

Officials at the meeting reported that tree plantation carried out between 2019 and 2025 had expanded green cover by 11.25 per cent, equivalent to roughly 2,729 hectares. Shah described tree plantation and pond rejuvenation as a 'new identity' of the constituency.

Plantation Methods and Institutional Roles

The campaign will deploy multiple techniques including Miyawaki model plantations, dense, linear, boundary, and scattered plantations. Authorities also plan to green road medians, vacant government plots, and urban dump sites.

The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Ahmedabad, will plant more than 38.79 lakh saplings, while the Gandhinagar forest division will add more than 12.47 lakh. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is expected to plant around 25 lakh trees, and the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) more than 5.42 lakh trees.

The Forest Department will additionally plant 6,000 saplings at 18 entry points in Gandhinagar district and seven entry points in Ahmedabad district under the 'Van Kavach' initiative. A memorandum of understanding with the railways is planned to extend plantation to railway land, and several organisations have committed support through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Public Participation and Free Saplings

Shah called for 'increasing green cover in every part of Ahmedabad through public participation' and directed officials to identify housing societies where more than 50 trees could be planted. He also pushed for intensified plantation in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) areas to create a greener environment for workers and industries.

As part of the campaign, which draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' initiative, free saplings will be distributed to citizens. Officials said families living in tenements, row houses, and bungalows would each receive one sapling.

Other Agenda Items at the Review

Beyond the afforestation drive, Shah reviewed development works linked to the Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC) and municipalities within the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency, including Mansa municipality. Discussions also covered public healthcare services, pond interlinking and rejuvenation, and the ongoing modernisation of the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway.

In a separate meeting, Shah reviewed the activities of the Akhand Anand and Sastu Sahitya Mudranalaya Trust, which has translated spiritual literature and Indian traditions into Gujarati for more than a century. He described the trust's contribution to spreading Indian culture and spirituality as 'highly inspirational'. Discussions covered the publication, printing, and distribution of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and the monthly magazine 'Akhanda Anand'.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das, ministers, and senior officials from multiple departments attended the review meetings.

With the 2026-27 plantation target set at over one crore saplings and institutional participation spanning municipal bodies, forest divisions, railways, and the private sector, the campaign's execution in the coming months will determine whether the constituency's green cover gains can be sustained at scale.