Van Mahotsav continues with massive plantation drives in Chandel, Bishnupur
Source: The Sangai Express

Chandel/Bishnupur, July 03 2026: The 77th Van Mahotsav was observed in Chandel and Bishnupur districts on Friday with large-scale plantation drives and renewed calls for environmental conservation.

In Chandel, the district-level celebration was held at the Chandel Autonomous District Council campus as part of the week-long nationwide tree plantation campaign.

Organised by the Divisional Forest Office, Chandel, the programme was attended by Deputy Commissioner Hemant Kumar as chief guest, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dr N Munal Meitei as functional president, Director of the Manipur Forest Training Institute Dr Rebika Soibam, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Firoz Khan as guests of honour.

The programme began with the plantation of around 180 saplings.

Addressing the gathering, Dr N Munal Meitei said trees are essential for human survival and described Van Mahotsav as a "festival of trees" that encourages people not only to plant saplings but also to nurture and protect them.

He announced that villages recording the highest survival rate of saplings planted during this year's Van Mahotsav would receive a cash prize of Rs 10,000 next year and urged all villages to actively participate in the initiative.

He further informed that the Forest Department plans to undertake plantation drives at 32 selected locations across the district under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign, encouraging people to plant and care for trees in the name of their mothers or Mother Earth.

Director of the Manipur Forest Training Institute Dr Rebika Soibam highlighted the growing impact of climate change and called for greater public participation in conservation efforts to safeguard the environment for future generations.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Firoz Khan appealed to the public to collectively protect and nurture the saplings planted by the Forest Department, while Deputy Commissioner Hemant Kumar stressed the need to strengthen the culture of conservation and preservation.

He urged people to regard trees as a shared community asset and ensure plantation is carried out at suitable locations to improve survival rates.

Meanwhile, the Park and Sanctuary Division of tire Forest Department launched a plantation drive at Khongjaingamba Ching in Bishnupur district as part of the week-long Van Mahotsav celebrations.

The drive was organised under the slogan "Keep the Green Promise, Let Us Plant More and More Trees Together and Celebrate Van Mahotsav 2026" and this year's theme, "A Tree Today, A Thousand Smiles Tomorrow" .

The division has set a target of planting 5,000 saplings in the areas surrounding Keibul Lamjao National Park.

"The programme was conducted under the supervision of Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (Park and Sanctuary) L Birmangol and led by Assistant Conservator of Forests Ningthoujam Prabir.

It was attended by Range Forest Officer (Valley Wildlife Range, Keibul Lamjao) W Khelchandra, Range Forest Officer (Range-II, Keibul Lamjao) Amom Rommel, Forest Department staff, and students and teachers of Chingmei Upper Primary School.

During the drive, fruit-bearing, flowering, leafy and abundant oxygen-producing tree species were planted around Khongjaingamba Ching.

Forest officials urged the public to take responsibility for nurturing the saplings, stressing that plantation drives would achieve their objective only if the trees survive and grow.

They reiterated that the division aims to plant around 5,000 saplings around Keibul Lamjao National Park during this year's Van Mahotsav celebrations.

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