Come September 17, the State will witness a Guinness record plantation drive based on a mission envisioned by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma of promoting a tree economy. Preparation is already underway to achieve the desired objective of planting 1 crore saplings of commercial plants in a single day under the Amrit Brikshay Andolan to reap the reward of such an exercise in the decades to come (See Box).
The theme for the drive is “Plant Today for a Greener Tomorrow”.
“The drive will be carried out from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on September 17. This will be the biggest ever commercial tree plantation exercise carried out anywhere in the world,” an Environment and Forest Department source told Asom Barta.
“An app will be launched on August 2 which will enable interested individuals to register themselves and avail free of cost a sapling specifically earmarked under this exercise. The State Government has announced
₹ 100 each to be given to those who wish to undertake the exercise. After three years, and based on inspection, ₹ 200 each shall also be provided to them for the upkeep of the plant,” the source added.
The success of this exercise will depend much on people like Jatindra Nath Deka. A young social worker in Khetri, Deka had immersed himself neck deep for the task ahead of him beginning July 1. Deka had been advocating plantation and conservation as the core philosophy of his social work. But a different challenge was awaiting him. The Assam Government was to observe the 74th Vanmahotsav week in his area on July 7, and he had made it a point to make the programme a success, come what may.
Finally, all went well. In the presence of Chandra Mohan Patowary, the Environment and Forest Minister of Assam, 300 seedlings of commercial varieties like Sal, Arjun, Rose Apple, Indian Gooseberry.
The meeting was a success because Deka went about town meeting people around East Apricola Proposed Reserve Forest to drive home the importance of the day as well as the cause. “The proposed reserve forest is spread over a land mass of 10,622 hectare and has teak, sal, chaplaish. Among others, in it. “It was proposed as a reserve forest in 1979,” Beat Officer of Topatoli Beat Office Jayanta Medhi informed this reporter.
The plantation programme in the July 7 meeting was like a curtain raiser towards the attempted Guinness record of planting one crore saplings in a day under the Amrit Brikshay Andolan.
“Even our Minister used the occasion to appeal to the people to create an awareness about the commercial varieties of tree seedlings. He also appealed to the people for their cooperation in making the initiative a long-term success,” Medhi told this newsletter recalling the speech of the Minister.
In his speech, the Minister termed trees as ‘our lifeline’. “On this Vanamahotsava, let us plant and nurture plants for our and our children’s future. Assam is blessed with a salubrious climate, clean air, and abundant water. We must thank mother nature for providing us with such a biodiversity that must be nurtured and protected,” Patowary said in his brief speech at Topatoli.
Actions in Tapatoli are a harbinger for the success of September 17.
“From time to time, we have been organising awareness programmes in schools by planting tree seedlings. Besides, we involve the locals and distribute seedlings to them. This year, we have set up a nursery in a vacant space outside our office.”
A forest guard of the Beat Office Kameshwar Kalita took this reporter around the nursery and pointed out at White Chandan, Arjun, Shishu, Ajar, Black myrobalan tree seedlings. While pointing out areas around the nursery, he informed Asom Barta that regular inspection of these varieties results in their longevity. “Those that die because of natural reasons or vagaries of weather are replaced by new seedlings. The same strategy will be applied for seedlings planted on July 7,” he said.
