Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 31 : Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel led a tree plantation drive under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" initiative in Ahmedabad's Ghatlodia ward on Sunday, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.
Trees play a vital role in maintaining environmental balance and purifying the atmosphere. Inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the campaign encourages citizens to plant a tree in the name of their mother. In this spirit, the plantation program was organised at Ayushman Van by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the statement said.
On this occasion, Mayor Pratibha Jain, Deputy Mayor Jatin Patel, Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani, MLA Babubhai Patel, and Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, along with other officials and dignitaries, were present.
Earlier, the Gujarat state government celebrated the state-level 76th Van Mahotsav on August 30 at Galteshwar Mahadev Temple in Sarnal village, Kheda district, under the leadership of CM Bhupendra Patel, to further promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.
CM Patel, while inaugurating the 76th statewide Van Mahotsav, stated that under the guidance of PM Modi, Gujarat has created an ecosystem for comprehensive environmental protection and conservation.
In this context, he mentioned that Gujarat has achieved development while maintaining ecological balance through initiatives such as Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) to tackle climate change, renewable and solar rooftop energy for green growth, water conservation projects like Catch the Rain and Amrit Sarovar, as well as massive tree plantation drives under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
As part of the 76th Van Mahotsav, the Chief Minister dedicated the newly developed Galteshwar Van spread over 7 hectares in Galteshwar, Kheda district, as the 24th cultural forest of the state. He also launched the website of the Gujarat State Wetland Authority, initiated village forest development, distributed checks to gram panchayats and taluka panchayats for the income generated from strip plantations, and handed over checks to beneficiaries of various Forest Department schemes, the statement said.
CM Bhupendra Patel remarked, "If we show care and respect for nature, it will, in turn, sustain and protect us."
He added that people of our culture see divinity everywhere, "Shiv in every being and Ranchhod in every plant." He highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently prioritised environmental balance and conservation, transforming the traditional Van Mahotsav into Jan Mahotsav.