Gujarat Minister Kantilal Amrutiya spearheaded the ‘Namo Van’ project, planting over one million trees on 1,200 bigha of barren land in Morbi to create a thriving green oasis, improving the local ecology and green cover.
Kantilal Amrutiya, MLA from Morbi Assembly constituency and Gujarat’s Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, spearheaded an ambitious environmental initiative by planting more than one million trees across 1,200 bigha land in 2025 — a green transformation that has now begun to flourish.
Until barely eight months ago, the vast barren land owned by Shri Morbi Panjrapol Trust on the banks of Machhu Dam-II, on the outskirts of Morbi — India’s ceramic hub — remained largely neglected and inaccessible. Today, the same stretch has been transformed into ‘Namo Van’, a thriving green oasis where over one million trees planted in September last year are rapidly rejuvenating the landscape and improving the local ecology.
A Public-Private Restoration Model
The massive plantation drive, led by Kantilal Amrutiya, is emerging as a notable example of environmental restoration through public participation and political will. The initiative is expected to contribute significantly to improving green cover, enhancing biodiversity, reducing dust pollution, and strengthening climate resilience in the drought-prone region of Morbi.
The Genesis of ‘Namo Van’
Kantilal Amrutiya, fondly known among friends as “Kanabhai,” is one of the trustees of the Shri Morbi Panjarapol Trust, one of the largest panjarapols (cattle shelters) in the Saurashtra region. The trust owns more than 4,500 bigha land. Kantilal Amrutiya, decided to utilise a portion of the trust’s land on the banks of Machhu Dam-II to launch a massive tree plantation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday.
“As we decided to create ‘Van Kavach’ and plant one million saplings within a month, we chalked out a detailed plan with the help of Sadbhavna Vrudhashram Trust, which assisted us in planting and maintaining Gujarat’s largest Miyawaki forests,” Kantilal Amrutiya recalled while speaking about the initial phase of the drive.
A Mammoth Undertaking
“First, we fenced the entire area and levelled the land using tractors and earth-moving machines. We then brought in fertile soil and cow dung to improve the soil conditions before starting the plantation work. Thereafter, hundreds of volunteers joined the drive, and we completed the plantation of one million saplings within 37 days. We provide water through drip irrigation and maintain the plantation very carefully. Today, the entire 1,200-bigha land has literally turned into a forest,” Kantilal Amrutiya said, expressing his happiness.
More than 500 people were engaged in planting around 25,000 saplings daily for nearly 37 days to complete the mammoth task. “On the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025, the ‘Namo Van’ project was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel in Morbi. We ensured that not a single sapling failed,” the minister added.
Government Recognition and Support
Impressed by the minister’s massive tree plantation campaign, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel revisited the ‘Namo Van’ project just before the local body elections and announced a special grant of Rs 3 crore for the development of an iconic road leading to this Namo Van.
A Renewed Personal Mission
The 64-year-old Kantilal Amrutiya, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, has now decided to dedicate the remainder of his life to environmental conservation and natural farming. Despite undergoing immunotherapy following cancer surgery, he has continued his public outreach and travel activities without slowing down. “After the cancer surgery, I feel as though I have got a second life. I now want to dedicate my life to spreading awareness about natural farming and tree plantation. We have written to the government seeking allocation of nearby government land where we can undertake a similar plantation drive along the banks of the Machhu Dam,” said six-time MLA Kantilal Amrutiya, who was first elected as a legislator in 1995. (ANI)
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