Van Mahotsav gains momentum across Manipur; massive plantation drive continues
Source: The Sangai Express

Tbl/Cdl/Tpl/Ukl, July 04 2026: The week-long 77th Van Mahotsav continued with renewed vigour across Manipur on Saturday as the Forest Department, educational institutions, civil society organisations and local communities carried out large-scale plantation drives and awareness programmes in Thoubal, Chandel, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul districts under the nationwide "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign.

THOUBAL

In Thoubal, the fourth day of the festival witnessed plantation drives at Tekcham, Tentha and Langmeithet under the initiative of the Thoubal Forest Division led by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dr Leishangthem Jeeceelee.

The programme was conducted in collaboration with Lamjingba Naharol Club and supervised by Thoubal Range Officer Dineshchandra Salam, Mayaikeithel Beat Officer Lourembam Samananda and Wildlife Warden Waikhom Ramchandra.

Around 400 saplings were planted at Tekcham, while over 600 saplings were planted at Tentha and Langmeithet with active participation from students and local residents.

Another plantation drive was also organised at Sora Bazar, where forest officials, personnel of the Sora Outpost and members of the Sports Development Association planted several saplings around the community pond under the themes "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" and "The Green Promise" .

CHANDEL

In Chandel, the Forest Division organised four plantation programmes across the district.

The main awareness-cum-plantation programme was held at St Paul's Higher Secondary School, Liwachangning, where around 380 students participated in planting nearly 550 saplings.

Addressing the gathering, DFO Dr N Munal Meitei stressed that protecting and nurturing trees is a shared responsibility, particularly for the younger generation.

He said environmental conservation requires collective participation and warned that failure to safeguard nature would make survival increasingly difficult for future generations.

The programme was attended by the school's Principal, Father Benjamin Kodai, teachers and students.

Additional plantation drives were held at SS Mohring School, Damjol Village, where students and teachers planted around 180 saplings; at Serou, where nearly 100 personnel of the 46 Assam Rifles planted about 300 saplings; and at Sugnu, where Meira Paibi members joined the Forest Department in planting around 150 saplings.

TENGNOUPAL

In Tengnoupal, the Forest Division reported significant progress, having already planted 58,900 saplings against its target of 1.10 lakh saplings during the ongoing Van Mahotsav celebrations.

A major plantation drive was conducted at Saivom Village under the leadership of Deputy Conservator of Forests Mahamuda Begum.

The programme witnessed participation from village authorities, school representatives, women's groups, members of Naomi Village Level Federation (VLF), Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK), local residents and Forest Department officials.

The division also continued distributing saplings free of cost through its forest ranges to encourage plantation by households and community organisations.

Officials emphasised that the success of the campaign would ultimately depend on the survival and proper care of the planted saplings rather than the number planted alone.

To encourage community participation, the division announced district-level incentive awards for outstanding individuals, village authorities, civil society organisations, NGOs and institutions achieving high plantation survival rates.

The best performers will also be nominated for State-level awards.

UKHRUL

In Ukhrul, the Ukhrul District Working Journalists' Association (UDWJA), in collaboration with the Ukhrul Forest Division, organised a Van Mahotsav-cum-Wildlife awareness programme at Charsung Seipet Tang.

Speaking on the occasion, Divisional Forest Officer Laishram Gitla called upon media professionals to play a greater role in environmental conservation by using their pen, camera and microphone to spread awareness on protecting forests and safeguarding the environment.

Describing journalists as the "voice of the voiceless", the DFO urged the media to carry conservation messages to the grassroots and inspire greater public participation in protecting nature for future generations.

The DFO also highlighted the success of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" Campaign 3.0, stating that around 2.47 lakh saplings had been planted across 23 villages in Ukhrul during June under the COSFORMS Project on Springshed Management.

Since the launch of the 77th Van Mahotsav on July 1, the Ukhrul Forest Division has planted around 1.84 lakh indigenous saplings, significantly strengthening the district's green cover and ecological resilience.

As part of the programme, an oak sapling was planted at Charsung Farm by the DFO, while over 100 participants, including students, UDWJA members and Forest Department staff, planted around 200 saplings, reaffirming their commitment to environmental conservation.

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