DHEMAJI, Oct 12 - Internationally acclaimed self-taught environmentalist Jadav Payeng and brand ambassador of the �Clean & Green Village� campaign asked the local villagers here to protect and promote the greenery for healthy survival of their future generations.
He also asked the villagers to take up massive plantation drives on a regular basis and conserve the biodiversity of the area.
Payeng was speaking at a day-long awareness meeting on �Clean & Green Village� mission organised by the Chief Minister�s My Gov team at Handique Milan Gaon, which was selected as a Clean & Green Village under the mission.
Payeng said there was no alternative to plantation of saplings to reduce global warming and conservation of the ecosystem, besides adding lungs to the society.
Payeng also appealed to the students to save the environment from vanishing into oblivion following widespread deforestation all the world over. He further stated that one should inculcate the habit of planting one tree each day, instead of spending a large amount of money in the name of entertainment.��
Recalling his efforts in the creation of a massive forest in a 550-hectare sandbar in the middle of the Brahmaputra in Jorhat district, Payeng said that the 1979 deluge (known as China flood in Upper Assam) washed ashore a large number of snakes on to the sandbar. He was deeply saddened to see the death of a large number of snakes due to the scorching summer heat and total lack of trees on the sandbar then.
The celebrated Forest Man of India also said that he faced many threats from the local people from time to time as many wild animals spotted in his forest often disturbed human habitat, though he was never disheartened.
�The locals whose homes were sometimes destroyed by the pachyderms wanted to cut down my forest, but I dared them to kill me instead,� Payeng recalled.
Addressing the meeting, Jonai MLA Bhuban Pegu said the Government through its Swachh Bharat Mission was trying to make the people aware about healthy living and avoiding open defecation in day-to-day life.
He urged the local villagers to cooperate with the concerned welfare departments for successful implementation of the developmental schemes.� �
Speaking on the occasion, Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner RA Korati requested the local villagers to change their mindset and obey hygienic rules for their own good. She asked the people to report about their problems to the local administration for taking up remedial measures on time.�
Earlier, My Gov team member Deepjyoti Handique explained the objectives of the mission and said that their Clean & Green Village campaign was to transform the Chief Minister�s dream into reality.
Among others, Dhemaji ADC Ankur Bhorali, PHED Assistant Engineer (Jonai) Amal Roy, Jonai Circle Officer Manuranjan Payeng, and officials of the Forest Department attended the meeting.
