Amreli, Aug 14 (IANS) Amreli is set to mark Gujarat’s state-level celebration of the 80th Independence Day with an environmental push, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday participating in a tree plantation programme that forms part of a Rs four-crore initiative to expand the city’s green cover.

Patel planted a sapling at the Shelter House run by Amreli Municipality on Savarkundla Road, where the municipality has launched a major plantation campaign using funds received under the District Mineral Foundation scheme.

The project includes developing an Oxygen Park and planting around 13,000 trees along both sides of major roads, with the stated aim of making Amreli a “Green City”.

The Chief Minister’s visit came a day before the Independence Day celebrations, which are being held at the state level in Amreli this year.

The plantation programme was attended by District In-charge and Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani and Minister of State for Energy and Law, Kaushik Vekariya.

The initiative is intended to create a greener urban environment in the coming years, with the proposed Oxygen Park forming part of the municipality’s wider “Green Amreli, Clean Amreli” plan.

Before the plantation programme, office-bearers of Amreli Municipality and local dignitaries welcomed Patel and presented him with a memento and a shawl.

Earlier on Friday, Patel visited the historic Shri Nagnath Mahadev Temple in Amreli, where he offered prayers and performed puja and Jalabhishek according to scriptural rituals amid mantra chanting.

He prayed for the happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of Gujarat and for the continued progress of the state.

The trustees of Shri Nagnath Mahadev Devasthan Sansthan welcomed the Chief Minister and felicitated him with a memento. Patel also interacted with devotees and visitors at the temple and greeted them with the words, “Mahadev… Mahadev.”

The visit was part of Patel’s programme in Amreli ahead of Saturday’s state-level Independence Day celebrations.

The state-level Independence Day programme will be held in Amreli on Saturday, with the Chief Minister scheduled to lead the celebrations.

–IANS

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