GUWAHATI, Dec 9 - The RN Borooah Memorial Award for best reporting on environment, tourism, conservation of nature and wildlife, for the years 2018-2019, has been awarded to freelance journalist Ranu Baruwa, while the Protiva Borooah Memorial Award on uplift of the poor and needy has gone to Arup Shandilya, staff reporter of Dainik Asam.
Announcing the award winners, Prasanta Jyoti Baruah, convenor of the awards committee, said that it has been decided by the committee to confer the Lifetime Achievement Award this year to noted journalist Homen Borgohain.
The awards, instituted in memory of late RN Borooah, former editor of The Assam Tribune and his wife late Protiva Borooah, carry a cash award of Rs 50,000 each and a citation.
Freelance journalist Ranu Baruwa in his award winning entries has highlighted how the construction of an oil terminal by Digboi Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation has obstructed an elephant corridor leading to man-elephant conflict. In another entry he has highlighted the destruction of nature due to open cast mining in the Patkai area.
Arup Shandilya, in his entries of uplift of the poor and needy has highlighted how the change to fishery has helped many farmers in the rural areas to earn more profit. Similarly, organic farming is also becoming an attractive proposition. The agrarian revolution being ushered in, in the greater Jamugurihat area through cooperative efforts of Kanyaka organisation under the leadership of Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika has also been highlighted.
