SHILLONG: The Government of Meghalaya, earlier this month planted 1.5 million trees in all the eleven districts of the state on the occasion of the World Environment Day.
The government now faces the challenge to ensure that the aim of protecting saplings planted in the state is fructified and that they survive to become trees in future.
When asked, Meghalaya Forest and Environment Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui said that Chief minister Conrad Sangma has already requested everyone to adopt a tree and the government will try to turn this idea into a mass movement so that each and every individual takes care of the saplings.
“We want students, youths and elders to adopt at least one tree and we hope the idea will be replicated everywhere,” he said.
Despite a number of plantation drives being operated in the state, hardly any exercises are conducted to find out the survival rate of the saplings planted.