Ahmedabad, Gujarat has created history by registering its name in the Guinness Book of World Records for planting the most tree saplings within an hour.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) organised a mass tree plantation drive with an aim to plant 361000 saplings in the city within sixty minutes. This tree plantation drive took place at Bhadaj under the direct leadership of India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 12, 2026.
The capital city of Gujarat utilised the famous Miyawaki Method for this drive. Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki came up with this method in the 1970s as an afforestation technique.
Let’s read more about this latest world record of Gujarat and how this eco friendly initiative compares to previously held records.
Guinness World Records for the Largest Miyawaki Plantation in One Hour
25000 people in total volunteered to participate in the Miyawaki plantation drive of Ahmedabad. The crowd was inclusive of all age groups and communities from school boards and police personnel to NCC cadets.
AMC chose the Gota Godhavi Canal in the Thaltej ward for the plantation space. The entire designated site was roughly around 91006 square meters and the core plantation area covered about 76000 square meters.
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Feature
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Facts about the Ahmedabad World Record
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Total Saplings Planted
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361,000 in exactly one hour
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Total Volunteers Involved
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25,000+ citizens and officials
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Core Plantation Area
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76,000 square meters
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Tree Types Utilised
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35 distinct indigenous species
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Previous Record Holder
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Assam (331,929 trees in 2023)
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Ahmedabad Plantation Drive Aims to Sustain Indigenous Species
The organisers of Miyawaki plantation chose to go with 35 native tree species which were best for the climate in Gujarat. The Miyawaki technique from Japan allows these saplings to grow ten times faster and thirty times denser than a normal plantation technique.
The drive completely aligns with the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The density of the plantation also aims to improve carbon absorption, filter urban pollutants, and fight against heatwaves. These trees will become a part of the government's 1.25 crore tree target.
Other Fastest Tree Plantations in the Guinness Book of Records
Not just Gujarat but many other countries have tried their hands at rapid and large scale afforestation methods within the limits of an hour. Here’s what we know about those notable plantation records around the world:
Assam - 2023
The Department of Environment and Forest in Assam, India established a record by planting 331,929 saplings in a single hour using a large network of local volunteers.
Bhutan - 2015
A dedicated team of 100 volunteers in Bhutan set a record of planting 49,672 trees in 60 minutes to celebrate the milestone birthday of their King.
Pan India - 2012
The Narmada Mission in Madhya Pradesh, India coordinated a mass public mobilisation effort that successfully put 340,999 saplings into the earth simultaneously within an hour.
Philippines - 2011
223,663 trees in total were planted in Camarines Sur, Philippines, to fulfil a nationwide environmental initiative and afforestation.