JORHAT, June 6 � Expressing concern over the alarming rise in water and air pollution, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that massive plantation is required to protect the environment so that the future generations do not suffer from the hazardous effects of pollution.
Participating in the celebration of World Environment Day on the premises of the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) here on Friday, the Chief Minister said that he was aware of the water pollution in the State as he was informed about the presence of arsenic and fluorides (in non-permissible limit) in the ground water of his own constituency Titabor and many other parts of the State.
�We must control pollution and therefore I am stressing upon green-economy rather than big-industrial economy. Large-scale plantation is the need of the hour to control environmental pollution in our State,� Gogoi said.
Stressing on large-scale plantation across the State, Minister for Environment and Forests, Etwa Munda said that the State Government has already launched a mega programme for planting 22 lakh saplings and four lakh of them will be planted only in Guwahati.
�We request every head of school and other educational institutions of the State to cooperate with the officials of the Forest department and the administration,� Munda said. He requested every citizen to be a part of this plantation programme.
The Vice Chancellor of the Assam Agricultural University, Dr Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah said that plantation during the celebration of the World Environment Day cannot protect the environment if necessary care for those planted materials are overlooked.
�Fifty per cent of the world�s tropical forests have decreased due to pollution. Every day, 1.5 acres of rain forests are getting denuded. Despite annual celebrations of World Environment Day since 1973, the environment has not been protected. Necessary care for the planted tree is equally important,� said Dr Bujarbaruah.
Along with many other dignitaries, the Additional Chief Secretary of Environment and Forests Department, Devinder Kumar, Upper Assam Commissioner Anurag Goel, Eastern Range DIG Satyen Gogoi, Jorhat DC Solanki Vishal Vasant, SP Amanjeet Kaur, AAU teachers and students, senior officials of the State Pollution Control Board and the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council, Jorhat MLA Rana Goswami, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi and many other local citizens were present at the function.
Mangaldai: At a time when massive forest destruction has allegedly been going on unabated, especially in the north-western corner of Darrang district, the district administration led by the Deputy Commissioner, Manoj Kumar took a special initiative on the World Environment Day on Friday for a massive drive of planting two lakh saplings across the district. The move was taken to make a pollution-free environment and involve the whole community � from teachers to students � in plantation activities.
To make this move successful, a viable action plan has been prepared involving 13 Government departments, including DRDA, Education, Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Social Forestry etc. Out of the 50,000 target saplings for plantation by DRDA, there are saplings of different botanical species including mulberry (Nooni), Som and local nutritious fruits. Thirty saplings will be maintained, each under a job card holder�s wages against 100 work days in a year under MGNREGA. This drive, if effectively implemented, is expected to contribute a lot to the greenery scenario of the district, which presently has a recorded forest coverage of only 14.74 per cent land area.
In addition to celebration of the World Environment Day at the Government level, the 42nd edition of the day was celebrated in Darrang district at the initiative of several local non- governmental organisations including Crystal Vision of Mangaldai and Dashami Devi Foundation of Sipajhar.
Crystal Vision organised a plantation and awareness programme at Santipur Girls� ME School where much to the enthusiasm of the girl students of the institution, Jubilee Sarma Gautam and Adita Ghosh, the two State rank holders from the district in HS (Arts) examination took part. Sipajhar-based non governmental organisation Dashami Devi Foundation in association with Florica Nursery also carried out a series of plantation programmes in many local educational institutions including at Maroi Bijulibari High School, MV School, BJ Balika Vidyalaya etc.
Meanwhile, the director of the nature conservation organisation, Nature�s Beckon, Soumyadeep Dutta has laid stress on creating a statewide mass public opinion to conserve the Bega river which is under serious threat from illegal encroachment and environmental pollution. He was participating in a seminar on Bega river organised on the occasion of World Environment Day on Thursday evening here at Youth club. He stressed on the need of forming a united platform to carry forward the conservation movement. The seminar moderated by Dr Budhin Hazarika, Principal, Kharupetia College was also addressed among others by advocate Jayanta Deka, educationist Matiram Medhi, Dr Lokeswar Nath, Bichitra Kumar Medhi, Prabhat Choudhury and Dr Amarendra Narayan Deb.
Bongaigaon: In connection with the World Environment Day, a total of 2,15,000 saplings were planted on Friday in Bongaigaon district under the aegis of the district administration.
Gurdeep Singh Panesar, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, Bongaigaon had supplied 54,000 saplings to gram panchayat offices, anganwadi centres, block offices and some individuals for plantation in the district. Saranga Pani Sarma, Subdivisional Officer (Civil), North Salmara, managed 1,61,000 saplings for planting at Chautaki, Abhayapuri town and around Kayakujia beel (a tourist site).
Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu monitored the plantation himself at Chautaki, where 1, 51,000 saplings were planted on Friday. Chautaki had found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008 for planting 2,84,000 saplings in a 31.5 hectare land by 300 people in 24 hours. MS Manivannan, IAS officer and then SDO (Civil) of North Salmara, was the key person behind that plantation drive.
Another 1 lakh saplings would be planted in various places in the district by the Bongaigaon Municipality, Bongaigaon Development Authority, Inspector of Schools and District Elementary Education Officer next week, said Monita Borgohain, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bongaigaon.
