Ahmedabad Sets a New Plantation Record
Ahmedabad Creates a Green Milestone with Massive Miyawaki Plantation: Ahmedabad achieved a major environmental milestone on 12 July 2026 by planting 3.61 lakh saplings within one hour. The plantation drive was organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) at Bhadaj near the Gota-Godhavi Canal in Gujarat.
The massive exercise created a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of saplings planted using the Miyawaki method in one hour. More than 25,000 volunteers participated in the record-setting campaign.
The initiative was conducted under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and formed part of Ahmedabad’s broader efforts to increase urban greenery and strengthen environmental conservation.
Key Features of the Record
A total of 361,000 saplings were planted during the one-hour drive. The plantation site covered approximately 91,006 square metres, with around 76,000 square metres designated as the core plantation area.
The project involved 35 indigenous tree species suited to Gujarat’s climatic conditions. The use of native species is expected to support better ecological adaptation, biodiversity and habitat creation.
Participants included students, NCC cadets, government officials, law-enforcement personnel, organisational representatives and local residents. Their coordinated participation enabled the large-scale plantation to be completed within the stipulated time.
Static GK fact: Gujarat is located on India’s western coast and has the country’s longest coastline among the states, making environmental protection of its coastal and inland ecosystems especially significant.
Understanding the Miyawaki Method
The Miyawaki method is a dense afforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki. It focuses on planting several varieties of native species closely together to create compact forests in relatively small areas.
The technique aims to accelerate vegetation growth, improve biodiversity and restore degraded land. It is particularly suitable for urban and semi-urban locations where available space for conventional forests is limited.
Static GK Tip: Dr Akira Miyawaki was a Japanese botanist and plant ecologist known globally for developing a method of restoring native forests using indigenous vegetation.
Importance of Indigenous Species
The Ahmedabad plantation deliberately selected 35 native species adapted to Gujarat’s environment. Native plants generally have better compatibility with local soil and climatic conditions and can contribute to stronger ecological resilience.
Such plantations can provide habitat for birds and other organisms, support biodiversity, improve soil conditions and contribute to expanding urban green cover.
Environmental Significance
The record demonstrates how large-scale public participation can support urban afforestation and climate-resilience efforts. Increasing green spaces can contribute to ecological restoration while improving the environmental quality of growing cities.
The Ahmedabad initiative also highlights the growing use of scientific plantation techniques such as the Miyawaki approach for restoring degraded and underutilised land.
Static GK fact: The Miyawaki technique was developed in Japan and is now used in several countries for creating dense native forests, particularly in urban environments.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Ahmedabad Creates a Green Milestone with Massive Miyawaki Plantation:
| Fact | Detail |
| Record | Largest Miyawaki plantation in one hour |
| Location | Bhadaj, Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Date | 12 July 2026 |
| Saplings planted | 361,000 |
| Volunteers | More than 25,000 |
| Organiser | Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation |
| Plantation method | Miyawaki method |
| Indigenous species | 35 |
| Core plantation area | 76,000 sq. metres |
| Total site area | 91,006 sq. metres |
| Miyawaki method developed by | Dr Akira Miyawaki |
| Environmental objective | Afforestation, biodiversity and green-cover expansion |
