73rd Vanmahotsav launched, to plant 13000 saplings

Imphal: 73rd Vanmahotsav was launched by forest, environment and climate change minister Th. Biswajit Singh in presence of PCCF and HoFF Aditya Kumar Joshi.

The event was organised by Kangpokpi Forest Division, Manipur to mark the celebration of forest.

The campaign was started with an aim to encourage public participation in planting trees and making the environment greener. With the unpredictable weather phenomena observed frequently in the state, planting trees becomes one of the most effective and efficient ways to combat Climate Change, which can be achieved only with active public participation, said N. Ganesh, divisional forest officer, Kangpokpi in a press statement released on Friday.

The event saw mass participation from Village Authority leaders and villagers of the nearby villages -Hararou, Yumnam Khunou and Sinam , youth clubs, student unions. After the successful launch, the celebration will continue with more public participation, in the first week of July.

Around 13000 seedlings will be planted across Kangpokpi Division at Taphou Kuki, Toklang Athongba, Waichong Range, Songp hum Village, Langkichoi.The Plantation will continue for the next couple of months, Ganesh said.

Van Mahotsav was started in 1950 by K.M.Munshi, the then Union minster for agriculture and fFood, to create enthusiasm among masses for forest conservation and planting trees. It is a week-long festival, celebrated on different days in different parts of India. In its original aim, every citizen of India is expected to plant a sapling during the Van Mahotsav week.

Awareness campaigns about benefits and protection of trees and the harm caused by cutting down of trees are held. It is the festival of life. As a part of Van Mahotsav celebrations throughout the country, afforestation drives are launched in a bid to retain the vanishing forest covers of the country. The declining number of trees has brought a major change in climate too. So there is a dire necessity of festivals such as Van Mahotsav, to restore the forest cover in the country,  the forest officer said.

The department sets a target to plant 75 lakh seedlings and presently have planted around 27 lakh seedlings. Arrangment will be made to all the organisation, local clubs, NGOs, CSOs, individuals, who wanted to join this campaign. It was appealed to the general public to come in huge numbers and participate in the movement and make it a grand success, he added.

The event was also attended by the divisional forest officer, Kangpokpi Forest Division and ACF, Kangpokpi Forest Division along with staff of forest department.

Kangpokpi Forest Division has come up with a theme of “ One student One Tree” wherein all students of Kangpokpi Forest Division will be distributed a seedling each to grow and nurture.

An online Quiz program will also be organised in 1st week of July. Further a web platform has been developed to issue Certificate online. Manipuri diaspora living outside the state can vouch for planting a seedling each through the web platform manipurforest.vertace.org