Pushing environmental concerns: Diphupar students ready ‘Ecothon’

Staff Reporter
Dimapur, April 25

In a bit to preserve environment and also create awareness to motivate people into action, Diphupar Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) is organizing a daylong environment awareness campaign ‘Clean and Green’ on April 30 in Dimapur town.
The event will be conducted under the theme ‘my environment, my responsibility’ and will be of five sequences namely ‘greenathon’, cycling, painting, and plantation drive and a sticker campaign.
Greenathon, which will aim at promoting healthy living, is an open competition for both young and old. In the cycling competition, cyclists from different walks of life will take part and it is aimed to inculcate sense towards reduction of air and noise pollution. The route for greenathon and cycling will be within the village including the national highway, the organizers informed. Painting competition will aim to spread message with a slogan to save environment. The event will also have a plantation drive within Diphupar village. The saplings, to be provided by forest department, will be distributed among the household with a pledge to preserve the sapling planted, to use natural resources wisely and also to spread message of afforestation. The final event of the campaign will be sticker campaign which will try to spread message and measures on environment protection and preservation. In the sticker campaign, flax, stickers and posters will be displayed at all strategic points from DC Court to Chumukedima. The programme will culminate at Diphupar local ground with a mass pledge to turn the village into a plastic/polythene free zone.
Addressing media persons, Moachiba Aier, convener, organizing committee said we are doing our part to protect and preserve the environment. The convener while admitting that the goal to protect and preserve the environment cannot be achieved in a day said “but we want this to be a start. We want this event to be an example to the people.”
The organizers will also be staging a signature campaign to ban use of plastic bags in the village. It also hoped that the ban of polythene bags will create employment and generate income. While revealing that they are finding alternatives to use of plastic bags, the organizers said making of paper bags, jute bags etcetera will give employment to the unemployed youths.
The event will be organized in collaboration with the village’s council and different students’ union.
President of the DNSU Sakulemba Jamir, members of the organizing committee Mongden Jamir and Moachiba Aier, and student union presidents Tangit Jamir, Rotoka Shohe, and Khanyo also attended the briefing.