DC launches week-long bamboo plantation drive in Tura

TURA: West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh, on Tuesday, launched a week-long Bamboo Plantation Drive at Allotgre locality which will culminate with the plantation of around 10,000 bamboo saplings by the residents of different localities of Tura Town by the end of the week.
The drive, which aims to control soil erosion and slope stabilisation, was organised by the West Garo Hills district administration in collaboration with the District Horticulture Office, Tura.
In his address, Singh said that massive landslides occur during the rainy season every year, but places where there are bamboo plantations are not easily prone to such calamity.
He urged the localities to plant bamboo and other fruit-bearing trees on the slopes to not only check soil erosion but to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to the people of the region.
He also suggested the implementation of large-scale bamboo plantation under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) programme in the region.
Lamenting that there is no bamboo nursery in the district, he said that a bamboo nursery for local variety will be set up under Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme and MIDH in the district for which, about 10,000 bamboo saplings will be raised from his personal contribution.
Since Meghalaya receives abundant rainfall, he said that the region needs to maintain the natural system of management for controlling soil erosion as concrete structures also get damaged constantly due to incessant rain.
The opening day of the plantation drive saw the plantation of bamboo saplings at Tura – Edenbari road at Allotgre, where the DC along with his daughter, District Horticulture Officer, MD Arengh and other officials as well as local residents, participated.