Western Railway’s Ahmedabad Division initiated a significant tree plantation program at 10 railway locations in Gujarat, aiming to plant over eight lakh saplings as part of the state’s ‘Mega Tree Plantation’ campaign. The first phase saw the planting of more than two lakh saplings at Sanand under the ‘Van Kavach Yojana’. This initiative, in collaboration with the state’s Forest and Environment Department, aims to enhance green cover on railway land and promote environmental conservation.
Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash mentioned that the plan includes planting four lakh saplings on 1.20 lakh square meters of railway land between the Sanand Yard and the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) line. The ‘Van Kavach Yojana’ has already seen the planting of two lakh saplings on available railway land at Sanand, with the remaining saplings scheduled for subsequent phases. The campaign covers various locations under the Ahmedabad Division, including Ambli Road-Goraghuma, Charodi-Jakhwada, and others.
The tree plantation campaign also extended to Sabarmati and Ambli Road, where 9,000 and 1,020 saplings were respectively planted. Officials from the Railway administration and the Gujarat Forest Department actively participated in these initiatives. The program, attended by key officials, aims to boost green cover, support local ecological conservation, and align with sustainable development objectives.
The diverse range of plant species being planted includes Fountain Grass, Bougainvillaea, Bamboo, Tecoma, Palash, Nagod, Mehendi, Karanj, Parijat, Kachnar, Amaltas, and Babul saplings. This plantation drive is part of the state’s Mega Tree Plantation Campaign, which has a target of planting 35 crore saplings across Gujarat in a single day. Citizens are encouraged to join in this effort to safeguard and nurture the newly planted saplings.
