Van Mahotsav Week Begins in Assam

Along with the entire country, Assam too has started celebration of the week-long Van Mahotsava. he Environment and Forest Minister of Assam, Parimal Suklabaidya inaugurated the week-long celebration of the 72nd van Mahotsav at Garbhanga Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati on the 1st of July. 

During the inauguration programme organized by the Forest Department, Suklabaidya said that the Northeast is known for its greenery and scenic beauty and it is our responsibility towards our mother nature to keep it protected. He emphasized the role of trees and plants in generating oxygen and keeping the environment pollution free, thus urging the people to unitedly participate in tree plantation. 

Several other dignitaries namely Queen Ojha (MP, Guwahati), Ramendra Narayan Kalita(MLA, West Guwahati), Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro Biswajit Pegu, Mrigen Sarani, Commissioner of Guwahati Police M Upadhyay and Alaka Bharadwaj, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest accompanied Suklabaidya during the programme.

Attending another programme held at Hembarua High School premises in Sonitpur district, the Minister urged the people to take part in the Van Mahotsav with full enthusiasm and said that trees and forest plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance along with providing oxygen to human and other creature on earth, keeping everyone alive. 

The main aim of the event was to create awareness among the people regarding tree plantation, creating a greener and pollution-free environment.

According to Suklabaidya, the greatest gift we can give to our future generation is a clean, green and neat environment by planting more and more trees. People of Assam are in love with nature and worships flora and fauna, he added.

He said that during the weeklong celebration all the forest divisions have planned a series of activities and programs looking to involve all the stakeholders in the ongoing plantation drive. The forest department has planted 10 crore saplings in the last five years and are planning to triple the figure in the next five years.

Van Mahotsav is an annual week-long tree plantation festival celebrated in the first week of July. The first event of such a kind was celebrated on 20 July 1947 by the plantation of Bauhunia saplings by Khurshid Ahmad Khan who was the commissioner of Delhi in the morning and in the afternoon. The main aim of the event was to create awareness among the people regarding tree plantation, creating a greener and pollution-free environment. It is also important for us to know that trees contribute to the production of food resources, maintain ecological balance, improve air quality, climate amelioration, conserve water, support wildlife, reduces drought and prevents soil erosion and pollution.