Aizawl: Aizawl city dwellers manage to breathe fresh air despite the rapid urbanisation and largescale deforesation, thanks to a reserve forest maintained a city college.
The 138-acre verdant reserve forest maintained by Pachhung University College surrounding the campus contributes a lot to the city’s maintaining ecological balance amidst the rapid global warming which does not spare the naturally-air-conditioned Mizoram.
Environment and Forests Minister H Rohluna highly praised the college for maintain such a thick reserve forest in the congested Aizawl city which has become a concrete jungle.
“Largescale deforestation has left adverse effects on our climatic conditions and soil. We need to protect Mizoram from rapid depletion of forest,” Rohluna said, while speaking at eological conservation awareness programme, jointly organised by the PUC and the state’s environment and forests department at the college today.
The forests minister also emphasised the need to be cautious about forest fire, as a single fire incident can within minutes destroy forests that need many years to form.
UD&PA minister Zodintluanga, who also attended the programme, lauded the college for maintaining the reserve forest which has five to six lakh grown-up trees.
“The college sets an example to the entire Mizoram in conservation of forests,” he said.
Dr H Lalruatsanga, assistant professor of botany department, highlighted the college’s activities in wildlife and environment protection and sought for public cooperation. (UNI)