GUWAHATI:
The government will plant about 3000 saplings in 43 government and private schools in the city during this monsoon.
To be done under the Centre’s Twenty Point Programme, the forest department, on May 7, distributed 50 saplings in Dispur Govt Higher Secondary School under the scheme.
“This programme will cover 43 government and private schools under seven Beat Offices of Guwahati Forest Range. Later, we will also include colleges and industrial areas. The programme will continue till Van Mahotsav,” said Pranjal Baruah, Range Forest Officer of Guwahati Forest Range.
Baruah went on to say that species of plants to be planted as part of the drive include medicinal and fruit-bearing species such as Indian gooseberry, arjuna, guava, Spanish Cherry, Ajar, neem and red sanders, among others.
Informing that the plantation drive will be carried out in all the schools under seven forest beats – Chandrapur, Narengi, Kalapahar, Fatasil, Hengerabari, Khanamukh and Punjabari, he said that the drive is being carried out under the active leadership of Rohini Ballav Saikia, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Kamrup East Division as per the direction of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma under the strict supervision of the director-general of forest and special secretary to MOEFCC (ministry of environment, forest and climate change).
Notably, under the Twenty Point Programme, the Centre has planned to double the target of afforestation/annual plantation from 121 crore seedlings to 253 crore, from year 2019-20 to 2023-24.