ITANAGAR, Jun 5: Plantation drives and other programmes were held across the state to mark World Environment Day (WED) on Tuesday.
This year, the 43rd edition of the WED was celebrated in India with the theme ‘Beat plastic pollution’.
The Itanagar, the environment and forests department organized a rally from the PCCF office to IG Park.
Chief Secretary Satya Gopal flagged off the rally, and gave away prizes to the winners of the poster competition held earlier in the schools of the capital city. A plantation drive was also organized in the IG Park premises.
Addressing the participating school children, CCF MS Negi explained the global concern over emission of greenhouse gases leading to global warming, and the role played by forests and trees in carbon sequestration and mitigation of global warming.
In Aalo, the PHE division organized a cleanliness drive at the general hospital. PHED EE Kirba Sora and DMO Dr Nyage Geyi emphasized on the need to minimize the use of plastic to keep the environment clean.
In Anini, the PHE&WS division conducted a cleanliness-and-plantation drive. In Tezu, addressing the participants in a plantation drive, Lohit DC Karma Leki advised them to educate children about the importance of forests and trees, cleanliness, global warming, etc, and appealed to all to discourage the use of plastics.
In Roing, Local MLA Mutchu Mithi along with students of Ridgeview Public School took part in a plantation drive in Kera Ati village. Mithi spoke about the importance of keeping the environment clean and healthy. A plantation drive was also organized at the NHPC Dibang Multipurpose Project.
In Daporijo, the Upper Subansiri Krishi Vigyan Kendra observed the day with the staff and students of Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Kuporijo and planted saplings in the VKV campus.
The Shergaon forest division celebrated in West Kameng district celebrated the day with volunteers of the Shergaon Eco Saviours – a group of youngsters led by DFO Millo Tasser. They took up the task of cleaning the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary to make the sanctuary free from all kinds of plastic.
On the occasion, the wildlife sanctuary was also declared plastic-free, and an advisory was released for visitors to the sanctuary.
Staff of the Shergaon forest division, supported by the PHED and the Women Welfare Association conducted a cleanliness drive at the Ziding Kho river and Gacham Kro.
Among others, the programme was attended by Rupa SDO Suraj Gurung, staff of the Shergaon forest division, and members of the Rupa Women’s Association.
In Rono Hills, the NSS cell of the Rajiv Gandhi University organized a transact walk around the university campus and conducted mass cleanliness drive to mark the day.
During the transact walk the volunteers, faculties and other staff of the university took stock of the overall hygiene and sanitation scenario of the university campus.
Among others, Prof SK Nayak and Drs C Siva Shankar, Sambhu Prasad and Vivek Singh shared their ideas on conserving the environment and minimizing the use of plastic.
Later in the day, a seminar was organised for launching the Swachh Bharat summer internship.
Gomar Basar, the nodal officer for implementing the programme in the university, encouraged the students to get themselves enrolled for the summer internship programme, which has been launched by MHRD and the ministry of drinking water and sanitation.
Several volunteers enrolled online for the programme.
The day was also celebrated in Miao, Likabali, Bomdila, the ITBP’s NE FTR HQ, the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, the North East Regional Centre, Itanagar, Biological Park, Itanagar, and Arunodaya University. (With DIPRO inputs)
