IMPHAL, June 8 - The Manipur Forest and Environment Department has set a target to plant around 10 lakh saplings in collaboration with various stakeholders during the ongoing week-long observance of the World Environment Day (June 6-11) and Van Mahotsav, scheduled to be observed in July.
Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar disclosed this while attending a tree plantation programme at the Solid Waste Management Plant premises at Lamdeng Khunou in Imphal West district today.
The tree plantation programme was held as part of the week-long observance of the World Environment Day under the aegis of the Manipur Urban Development Agency.
Stating that merely planting a sapling will not help in the mission, the minister said one must focus on the care of the plant till maturity.
Stating that the Forest Department would collaborate with NGOs, clubs and residents for engaging them in the care of the planted saplings, he said they would be given assistance for their service as done in the earlier years.
He said that Chief Minister N Biren Singh, during the World Environment Day observance on June 5, had already announced that the State Government would soon launch a campaign called �Green Manipur, Clean Manipur� with an objective to protect the environment and combat impact of climate change.
Under the campaign, the State Government will encourage every village of the State, both in the hills and in the valley, to protect or develop forest land having an area of at least 5 to 10 acres. The Government will install gyms at a cost of around Rs 5 lakh each at these green areas. At urban and semi-urban localities, which do not have such land for forest development, people will be encouraged to plant trees at their Umang Lai complexes.
