Why AMC Pays ₹3,000 to Plant a Tree But Charges Just ₹2,500 When One Is Cut Down
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has approved a proposal paying Catch Foundation ₹3,000 per sapling for roadside tree plantation, sparking intense debate over municipal financial priorities. Under the approved tender, the NGO will receive ₹6 crore to plant and maintain 20,000 saplings across the city for three years. Contradictions have emerged in the civic body's pricing structure, as AMC currently charges citizens and private developers just ₹2,500 per tree cut to cover replacement and maintenance costs.
The disparity means the civic body spends more money to plant a single sapling than it collects in fines when a fully grown tree is removed.
Discrepancy in Civic Pricing Structures
The ₹6 crore contract covers the entire operational lifecycle of the roadside plantation project. Catch Foundation is tasked with digging pits, adding fertile soil and manure, installing protective tree guards, and providing continuous care over a three-year maintenance period.
Concerns over value for money have intensified following comparisons with state government initiatives. The Gujarat state administration recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sadbhavna NGO for a similar plantation drive at ₹1,490 per tree, inclusive of three years of maintenance. The state's arrangement costs less than half of AMC's allocated ₹3,000 rate, raising sharp questions from civic activists regarding the corporation's tendering process.
Rebranded Boards Spark Accountability Questions
Municipal records indicate ambitious targets set during recent environmental drives, including 'Mission Three Million' in 2024 and 'Mission Four Million' in 2025. However, ground-level inspections reveal troubling irregularities in execution.
Instead of planting fresh saplings at new sites, contractors wrapped green shade netting around existing 2024 tree guards and affixed new 'Mission Four Million' signage over them. The practice of recycling older plantations under new banner names has raised doubts over the actual number of new saplings planted across the city. Civic officials face growing demands for a transparent audit of tree survival rates and total funds disbursed under past environmental drives.
