World Environment Day observed across Meghalaya
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Governor, K.K. Paul led the State in observing World Environment Day on Thursday by planting saplings on the Raj Bhawan premises and at Ward’s Lake, Shillong in the presence of officials from the Forest department.
The Governor planted saplings of the Himalayan Blue Pine (scientific name Pinus wallichiana) belonging to the Pinaceae family.
In a related Government programme, organized by the department of Forest and Environment and the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme in collaboration with others, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma informed that the Government has drawn up a State Action Plan for combating climate change and other initiatives.
The Chief Minister, while speaking at the World Environment Day celebration function organised by Meghalaya Basin Development Authority along with the Forest Department, said, “The Government of Meghalaya has responded appropriately to create an enabling environment for all our friends to participate in this very important agenda and to ensure that kind of integration of efforts, we have structured a mission mode intervention called Mission Green.”
“Mission Green offers the stakeholder innumerable opportunities which are creative and innovative and it also offers different components of interventions to allow stakeholders to achieve their objectives,” the Chief Minister said, while making an appeal for adoption of greener and more efficient technologies available.
He stated that it was important to reach out to the youth as they ‘are the beacon of hope for the future’.
“The environment is everybody’s concern and we should pool in all our strength and resources to ameliorate the degrading environmental conditions that are around us and the world at large,” he added.
Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong stated that the report on the State of Environment of Meghalaya took into account the opinion of all stakeholders and drew up a priority list of the environmental problems being encountered today.
The list consisted of bio-diversity loss, deforestation, shifting cultivation, water pollution, mining activities and urban urbanization, Tynsong said.
He stated that he was happy to see the administrative control over the State Pollution Board being transferred to the Forest and Environment Department. He appealed to all the participants and citizens of the state to take a pledge to make Meghalaya clean and green through conservation of forest and environment.
The Meghalaya Eco Friendly Students’ Union (MEFSU) with a campaign “Bringing the Change” conducted a cleaning drive at Police Bazar, paying its respect to the environment.
Students, teachers, police constables and shop keepers took part in the campaign. Vivek Syiem, SP (city), who was the chief guest on the occasion, kick started the event.
He congratulated MEFSU for its role in creating awareness on issues concerning protection of the environment and urged the people to support them.
MEFSU president Rangdajied Marwein said, “We should respect and love the environment like the way we love ourselves.”
He deplored that despite Police Bazar being the centre of business establishments it was in a deplorable state, as far as cleanliness was concerned.
The College of Teacher Education (PGT), Shillong, also participated in the World Environment Day celebrations on Thursday.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, CP Marak, while addressing the gathering spoke on the need to adopt environmental friendly methods of utilizing land and forest resources.
The Citizens Foundation, Regional Office, Shillong celebrated the world environment day at Ichamati, CHC , Majai Sub Centre, Nongkhlaw CHC along with students and teachers of five schools of Nongkhlaw village. Students planted trees on the occasion which was observed on the theme “Clean and Green Environment”.
The National Service Scheme, St Edmund’s College Unit, in collaboration with N.O.W EcoClub commemorated the World Environment Day at the college Auditorium. An ‘environment fair’ was organized to create awareness on ‘a plastic free world’ and adoption of three R’s – Reuse, Reduce and Recycle.
An exhibition-cum sale of products made from waste materials aptly called ‘wealth from waste’ was one of the main attractions at the Fair.
Food stalls with indigenous and Indian cuisine were served on ‘eco-friendly materials’ like lamet, lakait and dopwai.
An innovative project of the NSS is the ‘adopt a tree’ where tree saplings were given to students willing to grow and nurture it. ‘Music from the earth’ and eco-games lightened the air. The Fair also featured competitions like quiz, poster, slogan writing and photography based on the theme “raise your voice not the sea level”. A special stall from Roilang and NEEDS added flavour to the programme.
