His aim is to see that one crore trees are planted with the co-operation of people. And, Ambaji Temple Trust has promised support and  recently felicitated retired LIC field officer LD Shah, 70, who has been involved in a tree plantation campaign for the past 25 years.

"I have been going to religious institutions in the village with ecological and social programmes. The response has been encouraging," Shah told TOI. Till date, nearly seven lakh trees have been planted mainly in his native Kutch district as part of his mission Koti Vriksh Abhiyan.

Interestingly, he was inspired by schoolchildren of a small village Duma in Kutch who planted more than one lakh trees during a volleyball tournament in 1992. "I took a leaf out of their book and have been involved in tree-planting ever since," he said.

As for funds for the latest massive campaign, named Vriksh Narayana Katha, Shah said, "Since I'm doing this for a noble cause money is no constraint. My friends are ready to help wholeheartedly."

Shah's idol is former president Dr Abdul Kalam who emphasized the need not to disturb the environment, reforestation and recharging rainwater, he said.

"We have already begun our own tree plantation drive and our target is to plant 10 lakh trees, mainly in the border areas of the district," said collector RJ Patel, ex-officio chairman of Ambaji trust. A green battalion comprising volunteers is working in full swing," he added.