GUWAHATI, June 5 - People across the State planted saplings along roads and highways and took up other initiatives to bring people closer to Nature on the occasion of World Environment Day on Friday.
Kalaigaon Correspondent adds: A bid to create a new manmade forest was launched at Khoirani near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border at Bhairabkunda on Friday, on the occasion of World Environment Day.
The programme was organised by the Dhansiri Forest Division, Udalguri in association with Bodoland Territorial Council, Udalguri district administration, and 23 Bn of SSB stationed at Lalpool. Nearly 100 SSB jawans led by Assistant Commanding Officer Ravi Singh joined the plantation programme.
Udalguri Deputy Commissioner Prakash Ranjan Gharphal and BTC secretary (Forest) Bhaskarjyoti Manta planted saplings to mark the establishment of a new manmade forest, following the successful example of Sapangaon JFMC (Joint Forest Management Committee), which was set up in 2005 and now has more than 15 lakh trees.
The new JFMC manmade forest will cover an area of 35 hectares. DFO MK Sarma of the Dhansiri Forest Division said hundreds of hectares of land of the Bhairabkunda Reserve Forest had been under encroachment for years. He said 15,000 saplings would be planted on Friday. Barbed wire fencing has been erected for protecting the plants. Manta said the BTC has decided to plant 40 lakh saplings in all four BTAD districts, including 50,000 in this new manmade forest. Ravi Singh said that the SSB would support the Forest department in protecting the saplings.
Jorhat Staff Correspondent adds: On the ocassion of World Environment Day on Friday, residents of TR Phukan Road here planted saplings along the road and in the space on the divider of the road. Rintu Goswami, an RTI activist and also the president of the Jorhat Bar Association, said the people undertook the drive on their own and decided to take care of the saplings to make the initiative a success. Goswami said the people have decided to hire a gardener to maintain the saplings and they themselves will be supporting the person to see that the plantation drive turns out successful.
Haflong Correspondent adds: With the theme �Biodiversity�, the World Environment Day was observed throughout Dima Hasao district in a befitting manner. At Haflong, the Day was celebrated with the plantation of fruit-bearing trees at Sambhudhan Phonglo Children�s Park by Autonomous Council Member Nojit Kemprai, Deputy Commissioner Paul Barua, Principal Secretary Amitabh Rajkhowa, Chief Conservator of Forests M Tungnung, DFO Ramen Das, RO Peter Sumer among others.
The Haflong Welfare Association planted and adopted five plants in front of the State Bank of India, Fishery Lakeside and in front the office of Haflong traffic police. Kemprai said the people of Dima Hasao were aware of the environment, and people nowadays want to take care of the environment, which is a matter of encouragement. Tungnung appreciated the people for showing interest in environment and appealed to all to support the objectives of the Forest department.
Silchar Staff Correspondent adds: In what could be called a first-of-its-kind effort in Barak valley, the Cachar Forest Division has taken up an initiative to open bird watching clubs for people.
Cachar DFO Sunny Deo Choudhury, who led the effort to materilise the clubs, said that on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Forest Division took up the initiative to bring people closer to Nature and birds. �The idea of the project where birds could be viewed by people, especially children, was conceptualised by Cachar DC Keerthi Jalli,� Choudhury said. Officials of five ranges under the division have been given the task to open the clubs for visitors on June 5, with arrangments for binoculars to look at as many as 72 species of birds during the day.
Mangaldai Correspondent adds: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, several organisations of Mangaldai, including the 37 Bn of SSB and voluntary organisation Crystal Vision, carried out plantation programmes at different locations obeying social distancing norms on the occasion of World Environment Day. Officers and jawans of the 37 Bn of SSB, which has its headquarters at Shyamabari village near here, planted nearly 2,000 saplings of varieties of fruit and other trees in schools and public institutions. NGO Crystal Vision also planted a few saplings at the campus of Specialized Adoption Agency, a government-recognised home for orphans and abandoned children.
Dhemaji Correspondent adds: Officials of the Department of Environment and Forests, District Legal Service Authority, NGOs and student unions of the district observed World Environment Day in different parts of the district.
Divisional Forest Officer (T) Sofikul Rohman said forest staff conducted a plantation drive along a river and roads at Somorajan area. They also supplied 10,000 saplings to panchayat leaders for planting in rural areas. Forest officials of Jonai with the help of NGOs planted about 300 saplings of different species at Jonai HS School, Rigbi village and degraded forest portions of Tinmile Beat in Poba Reserve Forest.
DLSA secretary Md Nur Ahamed Laskar, who took part in a plantation programme at Murkongselek (Jonai) Town High school, said protection of natural resources was one of the fundamental duties of a citizen. Jonai NGOs Manuhe Manuhor Babe, Save Poba Reserve Forest and Nature�s Beckon also conducted plantation drives. Silapthar Science College fraternity in association with Orchid Society of Assam, All Assam Students� Union (AASU), Mising Students� Union (TMPK) celebrated the day at the college.
ANN Service from Patacharkuchi adds: World Environment Day was observed at Bhaluki village with plantation and distribution of saplings. Ananda Khataniar, brand ambassador of the State forest department, appealed to the villagers to make a habit of planting more trees. It may be mentioned here that the village has been listed among the Chief Minister�s clean and green villages. Around 100 saplings were planted in the Lakshmi temple premises.
World Environment Day was also observed at Bhattadev University, Bajali, by the Bajali branch of the Assam Science Society. Dr Dilip Chetry of Aaranyak spoke on the topic �We are because biodiversity is� and explained about man and biodiversity. Prof Randall Charles Keyes, research professor of psychology, global health and anthropology at University of Washington, US, spoke on the topic �Promoting human-wildlife co-existence through field training and outreach education: now more than ever�.
Plantation drive by Indian Army in Tezpur: A plantation drive was organised jointly by the State Forest Department and Indian Army at the Missamari Military Station. Around 1.2 lakh saplings of 125 different species will be planted over a span of three months. The effort is being supported by locals and Ecological Territorial Army Battalion, stated a press release from the Defence Wing of the Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
CISF conducts plantation drives across North East: On the occasion of World Environment Day, CISF North East Sector units planted more than 12,000 saplings across their areas of deployment. The saplings included various fruit-bearing trees and medicinal plants like Gulmohar, Litchi, Ashoka, Imli, Amla, Jamun, Bel Patra, Sonaru, Sitafal, Arjun, Bhowara, Ritha, Orange, Kathal, Mango, Jalfai, Tamul, Silikha, etc. By the end of this year, all CISF units of North East Sector aim to plant 40,000 saplings across Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya and Nagaland. During 2018-2019, more than 27,000 saplings were planted by CISF units across the North East, stated a press release.
