Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 1 : Gujarat has set a new milestone under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's leadership by ranking second in the country, under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, as over 17.32 crore trees were planted under this campaign, contributing immensely to the state's green cover.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country with 39.51 crore tree plantations due to its population and geographical area.
"Gujarat has always been at the forefront of the country's wildlife, bird, and environmental conservation. On World Environment Day (June 5, 2024), Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign for the first time to promote environmental preservation through tree planting," the release by Gujarat CMO stated
Today, this initiative has been realized in its true sense not only in Gujarat but also in other states and union territories across the nation. March 3 has been officially declared World Wildlife Day globally. Trees planted under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign will serve as a blessing for human life and wildlife habitats across the nation in the years to come, Forest and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera added.
While providing details about the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign on the occasion of World Wildlife Day, Forest and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera said that under this initiative, over 121 crore trees have been planted across 37 states and union territories in the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has set a new world record in terms of preserving the environment, the release stated.
Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera stated that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was the first to initiate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's environmentally focused 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign in Gujarat by planting a tree in Gandhinagar as a tribute to his mother.
As part of this initiative, cabinet ministers, MLAs, MPs, office bearers, officials, educational and voluntary institutions, and environment-friendly citizens of Gujarat have actively participated by planting a tree as a tribute to their mother.
Gujarat currently ranks second in the country after Uttar Pradesh in tree plantation.
However, as per the 2011 Census, Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state, with an estimated 19.98 crore population and a land area of 2,40,928 square kilometers. In comparison, Gujarat has a population of approximately 6 crore and a land area of 1,96,024 square kilometers. Considering these factors, Gujarat can be considered at the forefront of tree planting across the nation.
The Minister expressed gratitude to all citizens of Gujarat for this achievement and urged more citizens to actively engage in this campaign. Providing insights on tree plantations carried out in rural and urban areas under this campaign, Minister of State for Forest and Environment Mukesh Patel said that, as of February 27, 2025, a total of 15.71 crore trees have been planted in rural areas, while 1.60 crore trees have been planted in urban areas.
According to the release, among all districts, Kutch, known for its arid landscape, ranks first in the state with the highest 2.94 crore tree plantations. Other districts with significant contributions in the planting of trees include Jamnagar - 1.01 crore trees, Ahmedabad - 73.87 lakh trees, Banaskantha - 72.83 lakh trees, Kheda - 70.63 lakh trees, Surat - 69.72 lakh trees, Narmada - 61.13 lakh trees, Surendranagar - 56.91 lakh trees, Valsad - 53.55 lakh trees, Dahod - 51.99 lakh trees, Sabarkantha - 50.62 lakh trees. In total, more than 17.32 crore trees have been planted in both rural and urban areas across 33 districts as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, the central government launched the significant MISHTI scheme for the conservation of wildlife and marine biodiversity. In the past two years, Gujarat has stood first in the country by planting mangroves, covering 19,020 hectares under this initiative, which is a matter of pride for the people of Gujarat.
Minister Mukesh Patel highlighted that, due to the support of the Forest Department, numerous village panchayats, educational and voluntary organizations, and environment-friendly citizens have actively participated in the initiative by planting a tree of their choice as a tribute to their mother and collectively contributing to enhancing Gujarat's green cover through public participation.
Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are the top five states with the highest number of trees planted in the country under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.