Morbi (Gujarat), May 25 (IANS) A plantation drive that saw one million saplings planted in just 37 days has transformed barren land along the Machhu Dam in Gujarat’s Morbi district into a dense green cover.

The project, named ‘Namo Van’, was developed on 1,200 bighas of land owned by a Trust near Machhu Dam (2) in Morbi district during 2025. The forest cover was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on September 17 last year, marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday.

Leading the initiative, Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, Kantilal Amrutiya, said: “I intend to dedicate the rest of my life to environmental conservation and natural farming after recovering from cancer.”

Amrutiya, the six-time MLA from Morbi and a trustee, noted that the plantation drive was undertaken to create a large-scale environmental initiative in the region. The trust owns around 4,500 bighas of land.

Speaking about the project, Amrutiya said detailed planning was carried out with the assistance of Sadbhavana Vruddhashram, which was associated with the plantation campaign from the initial stages.

“When we decided to plant one million saplings within a month, we carried out detailed planning with the help of Sadbhavana Vruddhashram. The land was barren, so it was first levelled. Thousands of tonnes of fertile soil were brought in from outside, large quantities of organic manure were added, and fencing was erected around the entire area,” he said.

He said around 500 workers participated in the drive, planting between 25,000 and 30,000 saplings every day. “After 37 days of relentless effort, we planted 10 lakh trees,” he added.

The minister said arrangements had been made for irrigation, fertiliser supply and maintenance of the plantation, which is currently being managed by Sadbhavana Vruddhashram.

According to him, the saplings planted eight months ago have now grown substantially and turned the previously dry landscape into dense greenery.

Before the recent local self-government elections, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the site for a second time and sanctioned Rs three crore for the construction of a road leading to the forest area so that visitors could access the site more easily.

Amrutiya, 64, said his recent battle with cancer had strengthened his resolve to work on environmental causes. He recently underwent surgery, completed five rounds of chemotherapy and is currently undergoing immunotherapy.

“After my cancer surgery, I feel that nature has given me a second life. Now I want to dedicate my life to spreading awareness about natural farming and tree plantation,” he emphasised.

He added that a request had been submitted to the government for the allocation of nearby government land along the Machhu Dam so that similar plantation drives could be undertaken in the future.

–IANS

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