Even with efforts like the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, tree cover has reduced in 12 wards of Ahmedabad between 2012 and 2024, according to a survey by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). The biggest loss was seen in Vatva, where over 41% of the trees have disappeared.
Why is Tree Cover Shrinking?
According to a media report, the main reason is trees being cut for development projects. However, some wards like Indrapuri, Kubernagar, and Saijpur have shown a 100% to 200% increase in green cover.
Back in 2012, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) surveyed the number of trees in the city. It counted around 6.18 lakh trees, covering 4.66% of the city’s land.
Trees Cut by AMC Each Year:
| Year | Trees Cut |
|---|---|
| 2017–18 | 1,068 |
| 2018–19 | 2,243 |
| 2019–20 | 3,943 |
| 2020–21 | 1,003 |
| 2021–22 | 571 |
| 2022–23 | 1,200 |
| 2023–24 | 1,416 |
Target for Tree Plantation by August 31
AMC aims to plant 40 lakh trees by August 31. As of July 29, 20.42 lakh trees had been planted. To reach the target, 64,000 saplings need to be planted daily.
The ICLEI report pointed out that Vatva lost many trees due to the Bullet Train project. Maninagar is also facing similar tree loss. In Khadia ward, there’s hardly any space left for planting trees.
AMC has now asked the SAR agency to conduct a fresh tree count across all 48 city wards. So far, 5.9 lakh trees have been recorded.