Adventist English Secondary School, Lyngiong, plant saplings.
SHILLONG, June 6: Praise continued to pour in on Monday for an inspirited and effective environment campaign during the week-long commemoration of World Environment Week.
At a programme to celebrate World Environment Day here on Monday, Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, Isawanda Laloo, lauded the active participation of schoolchildren and the rest of the stakeholders who put up an excellent effort insofar as environmental activities such as plantation drives are concerned.
The programme was organised by the office of the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills, District Project Management Unit (DPMU), East Khasi Hills, and Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) at Don Bosco Hall, Laitumkhrah.
Appreciating the active participation of school students in various competitions organised by the DC’s office, Laloo, who was the chief guest on the occasion, emphasised that knowledge and awareness expressed by the students through various mediums is vital as they are the future.
Reminding the gathering that Environment Day is not a one-day affair but a commitment which must be fulfilled every day, the DC said the district administration has come up with policies and ideas to involve the communities, schools, colleges, religious leaders in creating awareness and undertake activities for the benefit of the environment.
by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency office in collaboration with the Regional Blood Centre Pasteur
institute at the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency office in Nongrim Hills.
She also expressed hope that the participants will relay the message.
The DC called for collective effort from all individuals, while emphasising that only the government initiatives are not enough to safeguard the environment.
Pointing out that this year’s theme is ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with nature, Laloo said that development comes at the cost of the environment, while adding that the theme aims to ensure that development goes hand in hand with a sustainable and healthy environment.
She also informed that the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) will be implementing the ‘Say No to single use plastic’ campaign, while strongly advising students to inculcate the habit of saying no to single-use plastic, which is harmful for the environment.
During the day, the chief guest also handed awards and certificates to the winners of the drawing, essay writing and debate competitions organised by the office of the Deputy Commissioner.
Moreover, the DC also conferred the awards to the ‘Top 3 Best Performing Villages’ given by Community Led Landscape Management Project (CLLMP) and Meghalaya Livelihood and Access to Market Project (MLAMP).
Under CLLMP, Weiloi Village Natural Resource Management Committee was awarded for best performance in social inclusion and community participation, Thainthynroh Village Natural Resource Management Committee received recognition for best performance in increase in forest cover and foliage, and Mawkynrew Village Natural Resource Management Committee was awarded for best performance in successful implementation of natural resource management activities.
inter-school drawing competition (left) Beticia M Khongsit of Christian Academy and Priyanjana Sarkar
of St Margaret’s Higher Secondary School along with East Khasi Hills DC Isawanda Laloo
during the prize distribution ceremony at Don Bosco Hall on Monday.
Under MLAMP, Kyiem IVCS was the best performer in successful implementation of integrated village co-operative societies, Laityra CMC was awarded for best performance in successful implementation of collective marketing centre, and Mawkohmon for best performance in successful implementation of INRM (Integrated Natural resource Management).
In Garo Hills region, World Environment Day was celebrated a day later of its occasion on Monday in different programmes across the districts in the region.
Project launch
As part of the observance of World Environment Day 2022, the Integrated Tribal Development Programme – ITDP-V was launched at Daji Badima playground under Chokpot C&RD Block, during a programme organised by BAKDIL, a Garo Hills-based NGO.
The project supports 200 beneficiaries from 15 remote villages with horticulture-based food crop plantation, a statement issued here informed. Each of the 200 households has been provided with 30 coconut saplings of Assam Tall variety and 50 budded Khasi Mandarin variety saplings as base crops.
Cleaning drive at Malki
In line with Meghalaya Environment Week commemoration, a ‘Nature Walk-cum-Cleaning Drive’ event was organised at Khlaw Malki at Lawsohtun on Monday by the Meghalaya Basin Development Agency office.
Participants who volunteered for the event braved the inclement weather to clean the forests above Malki locality, picking up wastes strewn along the trails of the forest.