CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday joined the nationwide observance of World Environment Day by planting a tree sapling at Golf Link in Shillong, reaffirming the Centre's commitment to environmental conservation through the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to Meghalaya, participated in the plantation drive alongside four Members of Parliament. Senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister A.L. Hek, State BJP president Rikman G. Momin and other party functionaries were also present on the occasion.
Addressing mediapersons after the plantation programme, Nadda said the initiative reflected a larger national movement aimed at encouraging citizens to contribute towards environmental protection while paying tribute to their mothers.
"Today is World Environment Day, and today here in Shillong we have planted trees, as PM Modi has initiated a programme called Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother); as part of this, lakhs of karyakartas of BJP throughout the country are planting saplings on the occasion of World Environment Day. We all know that on 5th June 2024, PM Modi has called for environmental protection, environmental security and a sustainable environment," he said.
The Union Minister recalled that on World Environment Day last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" (Plant4Mother) campaign and called for global environmental security. The initiative urges citizens to plant a tree in honour of their mothers, linking personal emotion with the larger responsibility of ecological restoration and environmental sustainability.
The campaign has since evolved into a nationwide public movement, with BJP workers and citizens across the country participating in plantation drives aimed at increasing green cover and raising awareness about climate action. Friday's event in Shillong formed part of the broader national observance of World Environment Day, marked through tree-planting programmes and environmental awareness initiatives in different parts of the country.
Nadda underscored the importance of collective participation in environmental protection and highlighted the role of citizens in supporting sustainable development through simple yet meaningful actions such as planting and nurturing trees.
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