Manipur to plant 75,000 lakh trees by August

Our Correspondent

Imphal, June 6 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh informed that the government will be planting 75 lakh tree saplings across the state by August this year as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Disclosing this while speaking during the World Environment Day observation at Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) site in the outskirts of Imphal, Singh said that the tree saplings would be provided by Horticulture and Forest departments.

For the molehills in the state, let’s allocate a college each with the task to carry out plantation drive at one molehill, the CM said and sought support and involvement from all sections of people, local clubs and Royal Riders Manipur, a group of Enfield bullet riders in the state for a green Manipur initiative.

Stating that tree plantation had been carried out across 300 hectare of land under the Green Manipur Mission so far, he informed that an amount of INR 300 crore had been allocated for conservation of water bodies at Lamphelpat.

Informing that household wastes from 73 drains, along the Nambul River in Imphal are brought to the treatment plant through pipelines, he said that the treated water would be utilised for irrigation covering 43 hectares of adjacent agricultural land.

Likewise, rejuvenation of other rivers such as Imphal, Kongba, Thoubal would also be started, he said and appealed to the public not to dump waste into the river.

The chief minister also flagged off a motorcycle rally at the end of the observation.

In his speech, Forest and and Environment Minister Th Biswajit said that steps are on to set up a STP for treatment of waste generated from Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences at Porompat to avoid flowing of waste into Kongba River.

Highlighting the government activities, he said that the government is taking up steps to revive around 1384 number of spring sources and also to conserve around 1591 water bodies in the state.