Forest department organises tree plantation drive in Manipur

Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 7 (EMN): Apart from distribution of free saplings to the needy ones in and around the capital, Manipur forest department planted around 1.3 Lakh trees with an area of more than 50 hectares in valley areas on Friday. The tree plantation imitated by Forest and Environment Minister Th Shyamkumar in collaboration with the local bodies as part of 68th Vanamahotsava – the festival of forest, which was observed at various locations.
“It needs the wholehearted public support,” said Shyamkumar while taking part in the plantation programme at Yairipok Top Chingtha under his Andro Constituency in Manipur’s Imphal East district. “The State faces flood like situation at the slightest rainfall due to silting of river beds caused due to various reasons including deforestation.”
Range forest officer (urban) team distributed around 2000 saplings of different varieties at Shamu Makhong, ISBTeishampat, Kwakeithel and Lamlong areas in and around Imphal. Students to housewives and others at Shamu Makhong area collected the saplings, report added. Further the report stated that the department is planning to plant 9.95 lakhs of trees this season across the state to give a boost to its green canopy and also to help in mitigating the climate change impacts including floods.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force and PCCF K Angami; IGF, Project Elephant, Govt of India RK Srivastava, Additional PCCF L Baite, officials of forest department, locals of Yairipok Top Chingtha and volunteers attended the observation.