Gujarat: Ahmedabad sets Guinness World Record with 3.61 lakh-tree Miyawaki plantation in one hour
Ahmedabad, July 12
Ahmedabad created a Guinness World Record on Sunday after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation planted 3.61 lakh saplings using the Miyawaki method within a single hour at Bhadaj locality, marking one of the largest urban tree plantation drives undertaken in the city.
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, in the Thaltej ward of the city's North-West Zone.
According to the AMC, more than 25,000 volunteers participated in the campaign, helping the civic body achieve the world record.
The event was held in the presence of Union Home Minister and Gandhinagar MP Amit Shah.
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, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani and other public representatives and officials also attended the programme.
The record-setting plantation forms part of a wider afforestation campaign under which a target has been set to plant 1.25 crore trees across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, while the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has committed to planting 50 lakh trees.
According to the AMC, around 35 indigenous tree species were planted using the Miyawaki method, a technique that creates dense, fast-growing urban forests by planting native species close together.
"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," officials said.
The drive drew participation from officials and employees of 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.
Describing the achievement as a milestone in Ahmedabad's environmental conservation efforts, the civic body said: "The campaign reflected a broader commitment to expanding green spaces and promoting sustainable urban development. Similar public participation-based plantation initiatives would continue in the coming months to further increase the city's green cover."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great initiative, but I hope these saplings are actually taken care of in the long run. Often, such record drives end up with many dying due to lack of watering and maintenance. The real success will be if we see a dense forest there in 5 years. Still, a commendable start! 😊
This is what we need—massive public participation for the environment. 25,000 volunteers is incredible! And using indigenous species is a smart move for local biodiversity. Now, if only every other city followed Ahmedabad's example, our urban heat crisis might actually get better. Kudos to everyone involved! 👏
Impressive logistics and coordination. Setting a world record is good, but I hope the long-term goal of 1.25 crore trees across Gandhinagar constituency gets equal attention. Plantation is only the first step; survival rate matters more. Let's hope the AMC has a solid maintenance plan in place. 🤞
As someone who follows environmental news globally, this is genuinely impressive. The Miyawaki method is proven to create forests 10x faster than conventional planting. With 35 native species, this could become a biodiversity hotspot in Gujarat. Let's hope other Indian cities take notes—this is how you do urban greening at scale!
Great work by AMC and all volunteers! But one concern: the article mentions planting 50 lakh trees by AMC. I hope the species chosen are appropriate for local climate and don't consume too much water. Still, better than no action. A step in the right direction for sure
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