By Bijay Sankar Bora
SIVASAGAR: “Refuse polythene and plastic, not reuse and recycle, and grow as much more tree possible to keep the environment and air clean for the progeny” – is the theme planked by district administration of Sivasagar district rich in heritage, culture and biodiversity.
The Deputy Commissioner, Dr S Lakshamanan while advocating that environment protection and preservation should be made a habit by the common man instead of a theme to be harped on World Environment Day (WED), raised concerned over mounting e-waste posing grave hazard to the only dwelling place of the mankind in the universe. He called for discarding plastic, mass use of public transport and practising use of recyclable things.
“Environment is changeable but irreversible change caused to it will spell doom for all of us. So, everybody should adapt a green lifestyle to contribute towards protection and conservation efforts,” the official said while flagging the issues in a theme-based deliberation at Sibsagar Commerce College organised by district administration and forest department.
Dr Soumar Jyoti Mahanta, Principal of Sibsagar College, said the planet could be saved only through persistent and dedicated efforts by the community, conservation leaders and government agencies to protect and conserve environment.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Territorial, Jayashree Naiding reiterated the slogan: “Selfie with sapling: saving the earth” as has been vouched for by Union Minister for Environment, Prakash Javadekar for ‘there is no alternative to have a robust green cover to resolve the problems plaguing the environment and biodiversity.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aaranyak and noted conservation expert, Dr Bibhab Talukdar said, “Air and water are vital for survival of human beings and conservation of biodiversity only leads to keeping the air and water clean. Dirty air will require human beings to wear oxygen cylinders on body which is an expensive proposition beyond the human kind general.”
An expert in elephant conservation and related research of Aaranyak, Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar highlighted the grave conflict of man-elephant in the state where average 150 elephants get killed a year and equal number of human beings perish. “There is no other alternative than to restore and expand the green cover and involve the community in preservation and protection of the elephants.”
Biologist of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Rounak Ghose flagged conservation and protection of dwindling population of vultures which play such a vital role in keeping our environment/air pollution-free. He raised concern over the practice of poisoning of carcasses of animals to kill vultures.
A conservationist by passion and a teacher by profession, Manoj Borthakur, said that efforts for conservation of environment and checking air pollution had to be focused at panchayat level for community involvement and there was no alternative to it.
Professor Utpal Dutta of Sivasagar College, Joysagar said, “The man has to refuse plastic totally to go green so that the environment and air is protected.”
Earlier, a mass sapling plantation programme was organised by the district administration, forest department in collaboration with Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force at Demow Rural Sports Complex where a large number of young sportspersons participated along with jawans of ITBP.
Students of Sibsagar Commerce College have brought out a splendid wall magazine on the alarming ‘air pollution’ on the occasion of World Environment Day.