As a run up to the Environment Week celebration, today the Social Forestry & Environment Wing, Meghalaya, Shillong in collaboration with Shillong Club, Department of Sociology, Lady Keane College and Education Department, NEHU organize Cherry Blossom Trees plantation at Shillong Golf Course. Forests & Environment Minister, Meghalaya, James P K Sangma was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Officials from the Forests Department, Shillong Golf Course, Shillong Club, various stakeholders and students took part in the tree plantation programme on Friday.
In his speech, the Minister acknowledged the initiative taken by the organizers to plant trees along the periphery of the Shillong Golf Course, adding that preserving the greenery of this Green Island of Shillong city is the need of the hour in order to bring this patch of land to its natural glory. The planting of 1500 Cherry Blossom Trees should relay a strong message to the citizens that climate change should be taken seriously, said the Minister. He reiterated that the save environment campaign should not end here and we should shy away from tokenism, symbolism and imbibe this commitment in our everyday lives. ‘Everyday should be Environment Day’, said the Minister, while urging the students and millennials to dedicate themselves to save planet earth.
The Minister urged upon each individual to shoulder the responsibility along with the government to tackle climate change by working towards restoration of nature’s valuable resources and to rededicate ourselves to save our planet Earth.
While lamenting the fact that the forest cover in the State has reduced by 73 sq kms, the Minister said that we as stakeholders should start to move ahead and find solutions on how to tackle climate change. He said that in these last three years, the Government has transitioned from just regulating the acts and rules to design out of the box solutions and interventions. For this, the Minister said that the government is cooperating and collaborating with communities to ‘use nature to solve nature’s problem’ while citing example of the Phytoremediation method to detoxify the Lukha river where Algae was used to remove major toxic contents from the water to improve the pH balance of the river.
The highlight of the day was the distribution of Meghalaya Excellence Award for Environment Protection to Shri Tambor Lyngdoh of Dongiewrim Mawphlang for his effort to protect and preserve the natural resources in private and community forests and to Ka Synjuk ki Hima Arliang Wah Umiam Mawphlang Welfare Society Dongiewrim Mawphlang for setting up of grassroot level organisation for motivating people in conserving the environment and promoting sustainable use of natural resources. The award carried a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a memento.
Prizes were also distributed to students who took part in the drawing, painting, elocution and slogan writing competition.
Others who spoke on the occasion were Shri. B K Lyngwa, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF, Shri. Hector Marwein, Director of Shillong Club who delivered the welcome address and Shri. W S Manners, Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry & Environment) Meghalaya.