Plantation, tribute to sylvan deities mark Van Mahotsav
People who don't love plants could not love humanity: D Gangmei
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kakching, July 08 2021: Under the auspices of Divisional Forest Officer Thoubal, Elangbam Tondonbi Singh Memorial Charitable Trust, Hiyanglam Awang Leikai, Partnership NGO Langmeidong and Wangoo Laipham Social Welfare Club Wangoo jointly observed 72nd Van Mahotsav celebration at Wangoo Naran Ching on Wednesday.

The celebration commenced with offering of tributes to Umang Lairembi and planting tree saplings.

Speaking during the function, deputy commissioner Kakching D Gangmei expressed that people who don't love trees and plants could not love humanity.

The value of oxygen has been realised during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

People could not live without oxygen and it is the trees and plants that supply oxygen for living beings, he added.

Pointing out that the tree saplings planted will benefit the future generation, D Gangmei expressed happiness on seeing how the trees planted in Wangoo Naran Ching few years back have become fully grown.

District Administration Kakching will extend all possible help in beautifying the place, he assured.

Delivering the key note of the celebration, Range Forest officer Kakching Naorem Munal Meetei noted that knowing the benefits of organising festival of forest, several other countries have also started organising festivals similar to Van Mahotsav.

Highlighting the need to discuss the present condition of forests in the state, Munal pointed out that around 120X90 metres of forest area similar to the size of a football ground is lost every minute in the world.

An area equal to seven north east states of India is lost every year and around four billion trees are lost, he explained.

The rate of destruction caused to forest areas in Manipur is also high.

In addition to cutting down of trees, cultivation of poppy has destroyed forest cover in the state.

Around one 1000 hectares of forest areas were cleared for cultivation of poppy in 2019-2020, he informed, while adding that the climatic conditions of the state have been affected drastically due to the clearing of forest areas.

He urged the people to plant more trees instead of clearing forest.

The celebration was attended by Divisional Forest Officer Thoubal Th Lokendro, SP (Kakching) Victoria Yengkhom, Chief Minister Green Manipur Mission Brand Ambassador Valentina Elangbam and Kakching ZP Member Wangoo ZP Constituency nominee M Romen as presidium members.

Comment