BAKDIL NGO to join WED mass tree plantation
TURA: The efforts of the Meghalaya government to spread awareness on environment protection and encourage tree plantation drives have found support from the BAKDIL, an NGO which runs hundreds of self help groups (SHG) and health institutions in Garo Hills.
BAKDIL is preparing the ground work for the planting of around five lakh fruit bearing trees on World Environment Day.
The organisation informed that 5 lakh plants including fruit trees such as jackfruit, litchi, mango, neem, teak, coconut, gooseberry and drumsticks would be the main tree saplings that will be planted.
“This is being done with a focus on environmental sustainability and nutritional supplement for the rural households,” informed BAKDIL head Fr. Sunny.
He said that BAKIDL’s SHG network which has a reach of more than 25,000 members will be the army that will give leadership to this all important intervention.
“In this way Bakdil plans to supplement the effort of the Government not only in terms of crossing the target of 1.5 million trees but also promote a people led movement for greening Garo Hills region of Meghalaya,” added Fr. Sunny.
This year’s efforts by Bakdil will see women SHG members from Mangsang to Rongara and Rongsai under Tikrikilla block bordering Assam to Mahendraganj bordering Bangladesh take part in the green campaign.
A recent meeting of the All Garo Hills Federation leaders decided that every member will plant at least 10 plants.
Meanwhile, many SHGs from Garo Hills are already in preparation with the plants and saplings while many more are waiting in expectation to receive saplings from the respective line departments.
Bakdil on it’s own has already planted more than 1 lakh fruit bearing trees in the last five years.
Back in 2018, Bakdil had facilitated the plantation of more than 1 lakh trees especially those which are indigenously grown.
It is worth mentioning that during the 3rd All Garo Hills International Women’s Day Program over 5,000 women had taken a pledge to plant trees, to protect trees and vegetation and not to use plastic.