Ahmedabad: In a city where tree felling barely months after planting drive has become a norm, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has unveiled its latest planning paradox — uprooting 700 trees planted just 1.5 years ago to make way for an underground water tank in Isanpur area of the city.The trees, planted during the 2024 monsoon as part of AMC’s much-publicised “Mission 3 Million Trees” drive, were grown using the Miyawaki method — a technique meant to create dense, fast-growing urban forests. Ironically, they grew a little too well, just in time to be declared an obstacle to infrastructure development.
The plot near the Isanpur lake, reserved for a future underground water tank, was used for planting trees with great enthusiasm by the garden department of AMC after encroachments were cleared. Now, with the water project finally moving from file to field, the same trees are being marked for removal. The proposal to cut them down has been placed before the civic body’s standing committee, with a final decision expected on Friday.Behind the Isanpur ward office, there are two underground tanks at the water distribution station with capacities of 2.72 million litres and 1.81 million litres. This station supplies water to Isanpur village, Govindwadi, and surrounding areas, serving a population of about 30,000.According to AMC, between 2019-20 and 2023-24, 75.43 lakh trees were planted in Ahmedabad. This included 30.04 lakh in the West Zone, 40.91 lakh in the East Zone, and 4.47 lakh along the Sabarmati Riverfront and Metro routes. Furthermore, 30 lakh trees were planted in 2024-25 and 40 lakh in 2025-26. In total, the AMC planted 145.43 lakh trees over the last seven years. However, there is no records as to how many trees were removed for various development works.AMC officials too admitted the irony. While the water production department argues that a new 2.1 million litre underground tank was essential to meet rising demand from redeveloped societies and new high-rises, the garden department has already given its nod for the trees’ removal — completing a full circle of plantation, celebration, and elimination in record time.With AMC proudly claiming over 14.5 million trees planted in the last seven years, Isanpur’s short-lived urban forest now risks becoming another statistic — added to the plantation tally, and quietly subtracted from the ground. Uncertain future: 1.64L trees planted on reserved public plotsUnder the AMC’s “Mission 3 Million Trees” initiative in 2024, around 1.64 lakh trees were planted across 10 plots reserved for public utilities such as libraries, neighbourhood centres and community facilities. Additionally, between 2022 and 2024, plantations were carried out on over 50 reserved plots across the city. One such example is in Memnagar, where the AMC planted over 200 trees under the name “Saurabh Nursery” on an 8,806 sq m plot earmarked for a playground opposite Sharad Mehta Garden. The site is now being considered for the Navrangpura Auditorium, placing the newly planted trees at risk.
