Assam's Green Vision: One Crore Saplings to Be Planted in Four Days
Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Thursday announced a series of large-scale environmental initiatives under a 'Green Vision' for the state, marking the 77th Van Mahotsav. The programme was launched at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, where the minister, local residents, forest officials, and volunteers planted 77 saplings.
"Environmental protection cannot be achieved by the government alone. It must become a people's movement, with every citizen contributing towards building a greener Assam," the minister said.
A key initiative, the Amrit Brikshya Andolan, aims to plant one crore saplings between August 10 and August 14, coinciding with Independence Day celebrations. Approximately 10 lakh students from schools, colleges, engineering institutes, and medical colleges are expected to participate, each planting ten saplings. To ensure survival, job card holders will assist in nurturing the saplings, with financial incentives based on survival rates. Students who maintain their trees through geo-tagged monitoring will receive a 'Briksha Bandhu' certificate.
The government also announced 'Phalbari', a programme to distribute one crore indigenous fruit saplings across Assam starting next year. The initiative will promote traditional species such as mango, jackfruit, leteku, paniyal, kordoi, and kaji nemu, aiming to revive native biodiversity and strengthen food security.
In another public participation effort, every forest range in Assam will establish a 'Janmadin Seuj Shopath' (Birthday Garden), encouraging people to celebrate birthdays by planting trees. The programme, set to launch on July 7, will be supported by an online portal for advance sapling bookings.
The Char-Chapori Greening Initiative will target barren riverine areas along the Brahmaputra River. Drones will disperse seed balls in selected char areas as a pilot, with potential expansion after evaluation.
On forest protection, the minister stated that a crackdown on illegal sawmills is ongoing. "Action against illegal sawmills is being carried out every day, and strict instructions have been issued to all Range Officers and Divisional Forest Officers to eliminate such operations completely," he said.
Reaffirming the government's commitment, the minister added: "The vision is to create a healthier environment while ensuring that every section of society becomes a partner in protecting Assam's forests and natural heritage."
