Taking climate change serious, the government of Manipur is targeting to plant 10 lakhs saplings during the on-going week-long world environment day observance and during the coming Vanmohatsav in July, the annual tree planting movement, which began in the year 1950.A total of 200 saplings were planted at the premises of the Solid Waste Management Plant at Lamdeng in Imphal West on Saturday during the World Environment Day 2019 observation under the theme “Beat Air Pollution”.

“Just planting trees is not a big deal but to look after them till it get matured is quite challenging as it requires strong determination and dedication,”said the forest minister of Manipur, Thounaojam Shyamkumar. 

The minister said that tree plantation in mass scale is being taken up as a key measure to mitigate the impact of climate change and the state government along with support of the people will put effort to take care of the planted trees till it gets matured.He informed that the state government will hand over the responsibility of nurturing the trees to local people, where service charge will be provided as done in earlier years from the time he took the charge as forest minister. 

The impact of climate change is experience in every part of the world where nations are taking climate change as the most important issue, resulting in observance of World Environment Day under specific theme every year. 

Informing that series of discussion on policies and programme on mitigation and adaptation of climate change impact at international level is being held, where every nation participated, the minister also  stated that the state government and the officials are putting all possible effort in conserving and protecting the environment.

On World Environment day, the chief minister, N. Biren Singh had also announced that state government would launch a campaign soon, namely “Green Manipur, Clean Manipur”, which  will focus in increasing the forest land with an area of at least 5-10 acres in every villages of both hill and valley. Even urban and semi urban areas, which lacks land for mass tree plantation will be encourage to plant trees at Umang Lai (Sylvan Deity) complexes, said the minister.