Ahmedabad, June 27 (IANS) A renewed push to expand large-scale tree plantation under the “Gandhinagar Lok Sabha – Green Lok Sabha” initiative was outlined at an organisational meeting held in Ahmedabad on June 27, where leaders reviewed ongoing environmental efforts and set further targets for plantation and tree survival across the constituency.

The meeting, held at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, was chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, along with party office-bearers and elected representatives from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

According to officials, the discussions focused on strengthening the “Gandhinagar Lok Sabha – Green Lok Sabha” campaign, which has been running for the past seven years with an emphasis on environmental conservation, expansion of green cover and public participation in plantation activities.

The campaign organisers said that more than 1.5 crore trees have been planted over the last three years under the initiative.

Addressing the meeting, Shah said tree plantation should be viewed as a collective responsibility rather than a political or organisational programme.

“Tree plantation is not an activity of any one political party but a social responsibility of every human being,” he said.

He also urged every household in the constituency to actively participate in the plantation and maintenance of trees, stressing the need for long-term care rather than one-time planting drives.

“Every member of every family in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency should take part in tree plantation and its upkeep,” he said.

Highlighting environmental concerns linked to climate change, Shah noted that efforts to improve green cover must be intensified.

“While tree density in the constituency has increased by 11.2 per cent, it remains insufficient in the context of rising global temperatures and environmental challenges,” he said.

He advocated the planting of long-lived tree species, suggesting that at least 33 per cent of plantations should comprise them.

According to him, long-living trees, though slower to grow, provide sustained environmental benefits over time, including shade and oxygen, and reduce the need for repeated replantation.

He added that a systematic approach to planting and nurturing trees would significantly improve long-term ecological balance.

“The protection and conservation of the Earth, nature and biodiversity is our shared responsibility and primary duty,” Shah said, reiterating the need for immediate and sustained action to address climate change and global warming.

Referring to the broader ecological challenge, he said: “Nature must be utilised responsibly but never exploited, and called for urgent steps to safeguard environmental resources for future generations.”

Shah also appealed to citizens, educational institutions, social organisations, industrial bodies, voluntary groups, and political workers to identify available vacant spaces in their localities for plantation activities.

He urged every citizen to plant at least one tree and take responsibility for its maintenance, stating that such collective action could help transform Gandhinagar Lok Sabha into a greener constituency.

–IANS

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