TURA: This was a celebration with a difference in Garo Hills. As citizens took a pledge on Tuesday to turn their surroundings into ‘green zones’ and help contain the menace of pollution, World Environment Day was on Tuesday celebrated through mass tree plantations, release of endangered species into their natural world and a cleaning drive in Tura town.
This year’s theme for the global celebration was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.
Tura, in particular, is being swamped by plastic waste in every locality with no remedy in sight. The streams passing through the heart of the town, Gandrak, Ringrey and the Babupara streams, are polluted with plastic waste, particularly water bottles and bags, and people continue to discharge human waste into the water leaving it highly polluted.
While rampant felling of trees in the reserve forests of East Garo Hills, namely Songsak and Rongjeng (Darugre) reserve, has destroyed the green cover of Garo Hills, jhumming close to the foothills of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve has impacted the water catchment areas which provide the rivers with its volume.
In the midst of all these there is a silver lining as more people, youth and elders, join hands to play a constructive role.
Tree plantation wasn’t the only step taken on World Environment day.
Peace Club Environmentalists from the North Garo Hills plains of Resubelpara who had recently rescued two star turtles from captivity released the pair to their natural habitat in “Turtle Sanctuary” at Aruakgre in the district on the occasion of World Environment Day celebration.
The Asilsong Development Committee was acknowledged by former Union minister and current South Tura legislator Agatha K Sangma for their active role in environment protection and preservation. The committee has taken a pledge to make Chandmari locality of Tura town ‘plastic free’ beginning today. On Tuesday, Sangma gave its members a citation and a cash prize for their work.
‘Plastic’ road
The government from its side has also begun taking steps to segregate and collect plastic waste from all localities of Tura town and other parts of the district which would be shredded here with the help of the Tura Municipal Board.
This plastic waste would be used as one of the materials for making roads in the region. Already several village roads across different development blocks in Garo Hills are under construction using plastic cell technology wherein plastic in the form of ‘honeycombs’ are being used for its construction.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh said there are century-old trees in the region and they need to be preserved. On traffic snarls in Tura, the DC urged people to minimise use of private vehicles and encouraged walking and cycling.
In East Garo Hills’ Williamnagar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Saljong K Marak urged the gathering to keep localities, markets and rivers plastic free and stressed the need to avoid the use of plastic.
Pressure groups like FKJGP and GSU also joined hands in Bajengdoba in North Garo Hills to spread green awareness. Local MLA Pongseng Marak led the gathering in planting around 500 saplings in different areas. Rajasimla Youth Council, the Baptist church, students and other citizens planted saplings and organised clean drives.
In South West Garo Hills, the occasion was jointly celebrated by the Department of Forests and Environment, Social Forestry Division, West Garo Hills and Basin Development Unit, South West Garo Hills beside the Chenga-Benga Lake at Gandhipara near Garobadha.
Deputy Commissioner HDB Sangma led the gathering in taking the green pledge and distributed saplings in schools. She also handed over dustbins for bio-degradable and non-degradable wastes to members of the Chenga-Benga Tourism Development Committee.
