Ahmedabad is one of many Indian cities that suffer from air pollution. On December 4, for instance, the air quality index (AQI) measured 133, labelled “poor.” In a bid to combat this public health threat, the city will soon get another “oxygen park.”

An “oxygen park’s” prime objective is to improve the air quality by offering green spaces. The new park will feature 75,000 trees and create a jungle-like environment of urban forest to combat air pollution. It has been reported that the park will also function as a recreational space with walking paths, yoga spaces and spots for birdwatchers, allowing local residents to relax and engage with the living world.

It is also hoped that the park will cool urban areas and combat the urban heat island effect that increases the temperature of a city and provide a haven for biodiversity to thrive in.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently inaugurated an “oxygen park” at Sindhu Bhavan in Ahmedabad, which is spread across 27,000 square metres and has 1.67 lakh plants and trees. Another one is in Science City, Hebatpur, with over 12,000 trees and shrubs spread across 4,000 square metres.

The park project is being created in other cities like Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Junagadh, too. Rajkot has an “oxygen park” with 150 species of plants, while Upaleta has five different parks which are under construction. Kutch too, has an “oxygen park” with over 3,600 trees.

Surprisingly, this initiative is not government-driven and is instead powered by local communities and social organisations.

(With inputs from multiple reports)