Action plan for World Environment Day
TURA: Garo Hills with its rich biodiversity blessed with abundance of wildlife and forest cover could be the last line of defence in protecting our fragile environment which is under severe threat, and what better way than to actively participate in the upcoming mass tree plantation on World Environment Day.
The decision by the Conrad Sangma government in the state to attempt plantation of 1.5 million trees across the state has never been attempted before.
In coordination with the Planning Department of the state, Meghalaya is aiming to enter the Guinness Record with the largest plantation of trees on a single day.
In preparation for this historic attempt, the administration of West Garo Hills on Tuesday held a meeting with officials, traders and other stakeholders to execute the plan of action for World Environment Day.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh informed that the Government of Meghalaya has already launched the Meghalaya One Citizen One Tree (MOCOT) Campaign on World Environment Day, 2018 which aims at mobilising the citizens of the State towards taking responsibility for improving the green cover in the State alongside the initiative of the Government. And the ultimate goal is to conserve and restore the fragile eco-systems of the state to achieve sustainable development, he added.
In addition to these, this year, the government aims to build on the last year’s campaign and to take it to the next level by involving larger section of the citizens both in rural and urban areas, he said. Further, the government department have also been mobilized to take up large scale plantation works with numerous activities including planting of trees in vulnerable catchment areas where 20 localities will be mobilized to visit villages on World Environment Day and participate in the planting of trees at various locations and Avenue Plantation along identified National Highways.
Moreover, the Deputy Commissioner had also directed the concerned line departments to collaborate in identifying catchment areas, supply of planting materials, etc in order to ensure that the programme is a success. Further, the MBDA will monitor the Social Media Campaign for online registration of citizens to participate in the program.
Further, referring to various directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) towards maintaining the environment and ecological balance, the Deputy Commissioner has called for digging of pits and properly dump all domestic particularly commercial and bio-medic discards like syringes with needles which poses serious health hazards stating that some Pharmacies in the town are reported to be randomly and wantonly said to be throwing it on the road-side bins. Informing that there are standard guidelines by NGT for proper disposal of all these materials, the Deputy Commissioner has warned severe punitive actions for all defaulting and negligent medical stores.
Coming down heavily on people who randomly throw used diapers and sanitary pads on roadsides, the Deputy Commissioner said that the scavenging birds and stray dogs feeds on these and scatter it all around creating eyesore for pedestrians particularly to people who go out for morning walk. He, therefore, directed all concerned not to dump waste materials anymore on roadside bins but to collect it on garbage bags and hand it over to Municipal Garbage Collecting Van when they come for collection in the morning.
In this regard, he has also directed the Chief Executive Officer of Tura Municipal Board to streamline the system and notify the collection time and point to the public through all forms of available media, adding that henceforth, nobody brings their domestic materials to the roadside bins anymore on Sundays as there shall be no collection of garbage on that day.
Reiterating his tirade against plastic bags and water bottles, the Deputy Commissioner, has directed all shopkeepers including vegetable vendors not to use plastic bags with more than 50 micron thickness and warned if any shop is found still supplying it will be charged Rs. 4000/- per month as fees and urged the public to make the habit of bringing their paper of cloth bags when they come shopping in the markets.