Ahmedabad has achieved a new milestone in environmental conservation by creating a Guinness World Record through a massive plantation drive, according to the Asian News International agency. The report stated that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) planted 3.61 lakh saplings in one hour at Bhadaj, a developing neighborhood on the north-western outskirts of Ahmedabad.

When it comes to number crunching, we learn that more than 25,000 volunteers were part of planting 35 different indigenous species, aimed at enhancing urban greenery. This is part of a larger initiative to plant 1.25 crore trees across the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. We want to see such world record attempts in Mumbai, in dense, urban spaces that need green to break the grey of cement and concrete. We want saplings to actually grow into trees rather than die as, after the initial burst of enthusiasm, there is hardly any information about these saplings, and many may perish for want of consistent care.