Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to making environmental conservation a people’s movement. He outlined several flagship initiatives to be implemented across the state in the coming months. As part of the Amrit Brikshya Andolan, a massive plantation drive will be undertaken from August 10 to 14, coinciding with Independence Day celebrations, with the target of planting one crore saplings across the state.
Around 10 lakh students, from Class 9 onwards, including college, engineering, and medical students, will participate by planting 10 saplings each. To ensure the long-term survival of the plantations, every participating student will be assisted by a job card holder under the VB-G-RAM-G framework. Job card holders will receive an incentive of Rs 1,500, equivalent to five days’ wages, in instalments, subject to the survival of at least 50 per cent of the planted saplings.
Students who successfully maintain their plantations by uploading geo-tagged photographs will be awarded the ‘Briksha Bandhu’ Certificate in recognition of their contribution towards environmental conservation. The minister participated in a plantation programme organised at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to mark the 77th Van Mahotsav. He also announced the launch of the ‘Phalbari’ initiative, under which one crore indigenous fruit saplings will be distributed across Assam from April next year.
The programme seeks to revive traditional indigenous fruit species such as mango, jackfruit, letek, paniyal, kordoi, kaji nemu, etc. Nursery development for the initiative will commence from October this year. Besides strengthening biodiversity conservation, the initiative is expected to enhance long-term food and nutritional security across the state. In another significant initiative, every forest range in Assam will establish a ‘Janmadin Seuj Shopath’ (birthday garden), which will be inaugurated on July 7, the concluding day of Van Mahotsav.
Citizens will be encouraged to celebrate their birthdays by planting a tree and taking a pledge to protect the environment. An online portal will also be launched to facilitate advance booking of saplings for the programme. Highlighting the government’s focus on ecological restoration, Mallabaruah announced a new ‘Char-Chapori Greening’ initiative to restore the barren char and chapori areas of the Brahmaputra.
As a pilot project, seed-ball technology will be aerially deployed using drones in selected char areas. Based on the outcome of the pilot project, the programme will be expanded across Assam on a larger scale. Speaking on forest protection and enforcement, the minister informed that 40 to 60 illegal sawmills have been dismantled during an ongoing state-wide crackdown.
