Ahmedabad, July 12 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated 101 Oxygen Parks across Ahmedabad and unveiled a new Heritage Park, as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) expanded its green infrastructure under the ‘Green Lok Sabha Campaign’ and the Centre’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.

At the inauguration, HM Shah urged people to mark occasions such as their mother’s birthday or other auspicious days by planting a tree, saying the campaign should become a mass movement.

“Every person should plant a tree in the name of their mother and can also plant one in the name of their guru,” he said, adding that Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam should grow into a nationwide public initiative.

The civic body said the simultaneous inauguration of 101 Oxygen Parks was aimed at increasing green cover, improving air quality and creating accessible green spaces across the city.

According to AMC, the initiative supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s environmental campaign and the goal of developing a greener Ahmedabad.

The corporation said the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency has recorded an estimated 11.25 per cent increase in tree density through sustained plantation drives and public awareness programmes under the ‘Hariyali Lok Sabha Abhiyan’.

It described the increase in green cover as contributing to cleaner air, a healthier environment and a more sustainable future.

“Oxygen Parks have been developed using scientific planning, with native tree species selected after considering local climate, soil quality, groundwater conditions and biodiversity. Several sites have been created using the Miyawaki method and dense plantation techniques to promote faster tree growth, greater carbon dioxide absorption and higher oxygen generation while supporting local ecosystems, including birds, bees and butterflies,” officials said.

The civic body said that, with the latest additions, the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency now has a network of 73 Oxygen Parks.

The total includes 12 existing garden-cum-oxygen parks and 61 newly developed Oxygen Parks and urban forests from the citywide project.

“Detailed information about all Oxygen Parks and urban forests in the constituency has been made available on the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha website,” they said.

AMC also announced that more than 1.25 crore saplings are scheduled to be planted simultaneously on July 12 as part of an expanded plantation drive intended to further increase green cover.

During the programme, HM Shah also inaugurated the Heritage Park developed under a public-private partnership between the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Torrent’s UNM Foundation.

Located between Nehru Bridge and Vivekananda Bridge along the Sabarmati River, the 20,000-square-metre park presents Ahmedabad’s history through five themed sections, including the city’s historical dynasties, urban expansion, the Royal Axis formed by Jama Masjid, Teen Darwaza and Bhadra Fort, the legacy of Mata Ni Pachedi artisans, and the area’s historic circus grounds.

The corporation said the Heritage Park has been designed to bring together Ahmedabad’s history, culture and urban evolution in a single public space while complementing the city’s status as India’s first ‘World Heritage City’.

–IANS

mys/dpb