SHILLONG/NONGSTOIN, June 5: Meghalaya on Sunday joined the World Environment Day celebrations with a slew of green activities organised across parts of the state.
Cleaning drives, awareness programmes and plantation drives were some of the highlights of the day.
Distribution of saplings
In Khyndai Lad, Art of Living, Meghalaya, joined the World Environment Day celebrations by distributing around 350 saplings to the general public as part of its ‘Mission Green Earth’ initiative.
“We are on our own in a small way but gradually we are planning to take this on a bigger scale in the coming days,” Art of Living Shillong said.
Art of Living Shillong’s Mission Green Earth is an initiative that seeks to plant millions of trees around the world and nurture them till they become self-sustaining.
“It’s an endeavor to promote tree conservation, sustainable economic opportunity for local indigenous people, and continuous research and education,” the organisation said.
Celebrations at Tangmang village
AROH Foundation celebrated World Environment Day at Tangmang village with support from HDFC Bank Ltd.
The programme was attended by schoolchildren, locals, village elders, officials from HDFC Bank Ltd, et al.
During the programme, saplings were planted near the campus of Tangmang UP School.
Winners of sit-and-draw competition, organised by the office of AROH Foundation and the HDFC Bank Ltd. on ‘Only One Earth’, were also felicitated during the programme.
Awareness programme
The Meghalaya Women’s Alliance (MWA) in collaboration with Bansara Eye Care Centre, Divisional Forest Office East Khasi Hills, Diengpasoh Presbyterian Secondary School and the community of Diengpasoh conducted an awareness programme as part of the World Environment Day celebrations.
As part of the programme, a total of 170 saplings were planted at Diengpasoh.
“The programme was conducted with an objective to spread awareness about the threat to the environment due to rising pollution levels and climate change while also emphasising the importance of conserving the environment and the need for planting more trees in view of the growing deforestation of land in Meghalaya and rise of global warming in the world,” a statement in this regard said.
The programme also attended by district officials, Diengpasoh headman, locals, etc.
Celebrations in WKH
In West Khasi Hills, religious institutions, NGOs as well as locals celebrated the day on the theme ‘Only One Earth’.
In Mawphanlur village, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) celebrated World Environment Day by planting 300 saplings.
Before the plantation drive, a short meeting was organised during which discussions were held on cleanliness, climatic change and its causes, among others.
In Nongstoin, the Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee of New Nongstoin Presbyterian Church celebrated the day planting saplings at New Nongstoin cemetery, Mawkawah.
In Upper New Nongstoin, the Nongrim village Organisation Block-VI also celebrated the day by planting saplings at Upper New Nongstoin playground.
The plantation drive was also attended by self-help groups.
SPARK holds events
SPARK, on the other hand, organised programmes on Sunday during which households from Mawlong village, Mawlynrei Trianshnong village, Pongkung village, Rangmen village and Iewduh slum came forward to plant saplings with a commitment to nurture and take care of them at the same time.
It may be mentioned that SPARK, just like others, is conducting a series of event as part of state’s weeklong Environment Day celebrations by reaching out to households in different villages. During the programme on Sunday, 1,000 saplings were planted across the fields, roadsides, garden and school boundaries along with cleaning drives in different places.
Events in Williamnagar
Cleaning drives and plantation drives were also conducted in Williamnagar by Rudreswar Youth Wing to commemorate World Environment Day.
