DIPR
Imphal, May 30,
Education Minister Thokchom Radheshyam has announced that the Education Department in collaboration with the Forest Department and All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) will be celebrating the World Environment Day on 5th June 2019, by planting more than 65,000 tree saplings.
He also said that there will be a review during the festival of Van Mahotsav in July and another in November for the number of surviving saplings.
The Minister said, this year the Education Department is all geared up to observed the World Environment Day with mass tree plantation in 1042 schools belonging to government, private and CBSE category along with 80 colleges of the State. He made the statement while addressing the media persons in his office Chamber at the New Secretariat, North Block.
He explained that the initiative is jointly taken up by the Education Department with the Forest Department is an effort to instill in children the sense of responsibility to care for the environment. It is also the need of the hour that every section of the society join hands to fight the climate change and become aware about the importance of preserving the environment.
Th. Radheshyam elaborating the plan and guidelines on how the tree plantation will be carried out stated that the tree sapling will be provided by the Forest Department. There will be tie up between the nodal officers, teachers and officers of the Directorate of Education for the distribution of the sapling. He said that the task for preparation of plantation sites/pits, number of saplings will be ensured by the schools prior to the plantation. He stressed that wherever possible arrangements for protection of the sapling from animals will be made. Names of students/ class or names of the teachers and other persons may also be projected/pasted on a suitable material against the trees so planted, he added.
Detailing the media persons, the Minister also read out the some species of different seedlings available in the Forest Department that would be planted on the World Environment day. Some of the plants are Oak, Tairen, Yongchak, Heijuga, (Walnut); Pine, Thuja Pareng (Alder), Chorphon (Indian Olive); heitup, Bokul etc. The Distribution of the tree saplings in all schools and colleges is targeted to be completed before the 3rd July, 2019 by the Forest Department.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Task Force, K. Angami, Director, Department of Education, Th. Kirankumar, members of AMWJU, and concern officials of both the Departments attended the meeting.
