GUWAHATI: A special plantation drive of flower bearing plants was carried out at the entrance of Hailakandi town on the eve of Independence Day Wednesday.
Leading from the front, Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli planted local flowering trees like radhachura, krishnachura etc., at the entrance point near the bypass to woo visitors.
Inspired by the Yoshino cherry tree blossom (sakura) celebrated in Japan for many centuries which attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year bringing in many million dollars in revenue through these footfalls, the district administration organised the pilot plantation drive of local flowering trees to attract tourists to the town.
Making an impassioned plea, DC, Jalli said, “I would like to appeal to the denizens of Hailakandi town and the district as a whole to come forward and extend support to the endeavour of the district administration to make Hailakandi verdant and beautiful. We request all to help us keep these trees alive as a pride of our town and it’s signature.”
Explaining the benefits of growing trees, DC, Jalli said, “This would ensure regular supply of fresh oxygen to the town and to fight it’s increasing pollution. This would more importantly be a unique mark for our town and would earn it an iconic place in Barak valley and Assam as a whole for its welcoming beauty.”
Around 300 flower bearing trees were planted along the road side from NH 154 bypass towards Hailakandi town covering a distance of one km.
The programme was organised by the district administration with support from Social Forestry Division of Hailakandi led by Divisional Forest Officer (Territorial), Dinendu Biswas.
SDO (Sadar), Prodip Timung, SP, Pabindra Kumar Nath, BJP district president, Subrata Nath, prominent citizens and officials of the district administration and other departments participated in the plantation drive.