Van Mahotsav celebrated in Tbl, Ccpur, Pherzawl
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIO
Thoubal/CCpur, July 06 2022:
The week-long festival of forest also known as Vanmahotsav continued to be held in different parts of Thoubal district.
The observance, which was started in 1950 in India, is held from July 1 to 7 every year.
Mass tree plantation was organised on Wednesday by Minor Irrigation and Agriculture department respectively to commemorate the 73rd Van Mahotsav in and around respective department campus by the officers and staff.
The festival of forest is held every year with an aim of encouraging every citizen to plant sapling to increase the forest cover and spread the message of forest conservation.
Meanwhile, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Thoubal and Association of Voluntary Blood Donors Manipur, Thoubal Branch also conducted a blood donation cum awareness campaign at District Hospital, Thoubal during which about 22 blood donors including nine female volunteers donated blood.
On the other hand, villagers of Bungmual, Churachandpur also organised tree plantation drive along National Highway-102 as a part of 'Van Mahotsav' observance on Wednesday.
The event was organised by Bungmual Village Authority with assistance of the district administration and Forest Department.
The villagers also vowed to safeguard the saplings (Thuja Compacta) planted and take care till they mature.
A total of 150 tree saplings were planted during the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Churachandpur additional DC Khaikhopau Ngaihte informed that the trees were planted to beautify the village along National Highway-102 and exhorted the Bungmual villagers to take proper care of the saplings planted.
Churachandpur Forest division DFO Esther Laltankim Serto, Village Authority members, Youth club members and officials from Forest department also attended the event.
In Pherzawl district, the 73rd Van Mahotsav Celebration 2022 began from July 1 with DFO Pherzawl Th Autumn launching tree plantation drive at Pherzawl headquarters and Damdei village with the active participation of village authority, villagers, teachers and students.
On July 3, the celebration continued at Thanlon village with participation of BRTF officials, police personnel, school authorities and students of St Xavier High School and Convention English School, village authority and villagers.
In these events, Th Autumn highlighted brief history of Van Mahotsav, also known as Festival of Forest, which is celebrated during July 1-7 every year, and importance of mass tree plantation.
Emphasising on the need for conservation of forests in a hilly district like Pherzawl, he made a clarion call for protection of trees along the national highway and pointed out that occurrence of frequent landslides during rainy season has impacted the lives of the inhabitants by causing breakdown of road connectivity, failure of food supply, disruption of electric power supply, obstruction in medical emergency services, etc.
The DFO also encouraged the participants to nurture the saplings they have planted and carry out post-plantation care by watering, fencing and weeding as an extra-curricular activity for a period of at-least three years.
Pherzawl Forest Division also invited all government employees, NGOs and villagers of the district to actively participate in mass tree plantation programme during this week-long Van Mahotsav celebration.
A similar mass tree plantation drives will be held at Parbung on July 7 .