Letters to The EDITOR: Present ambitious tree plantation project: an introspection

Present ambitious tree plantation project: an introspection

The article is meant to draw the attention of everyone to begin with; the most enthusiastic humanitarian activities of protecting Nature by way of afforestation or tree plantation and at the same time, to freshen up the minds of all, referring to one of the most popular quotes that if “ you cut a tree, you kill a life. If you save a tree, you save a life. If you plant a tree, you plant a life.”

This goes without saying that the life of tree is invaluable for the lives of existing human beings on this Mother Earth. Here one more quote can be mentioned; “every human being inhales life- saving oxygen exhaled by each growing tree and every tree gets carbon dioxide exhaled by each human being.” It clearly defines that trees and plants not only give us oxygen to breathe but also absorbs the carbon dioxide we give to them to manufacture their own food matter.

With the phenomenal growth of urbanization and industrialization around the world to meet the needs of over 7.5 billion people, there has been an unabated catastrophic destruction of nature- gifted forestry all over the world, resulting gradually in a kind of unfathomable global warming due to climate change. Hence, to save and protect Mother Earth, along with the rapid growth of technology, there has to be a united and selfless effort to create an ambience of living conditions by way of afforestation or restoration of existing forests in a planned and sustainable manner.

It’s to be noted that it has become an all time record in the history of Assam, with one crore of tree saplings planted in different parts of Assam in just one day, on the birthday of our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in one of the most prestigious projects under “Amrit Brikhyaropan Andolan,” a project undertaken to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

No doubt, by planting around 3.5 lakh of tree plants in one hour’s time, the present government has taken up this highly ambitious project for a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The entire operation, to be completed in one hour, looked to be not only an impossible task but also gave an indication of the life threatening fate of those plants, planted hurriedly without sticking to adequate method of planting operations, especially to survive in the field under the scorching heat of the Sun !!! The survival rate will speak of its success within a very short period of time.

The people of Assam have witnessed hundreds of tree plantations in the past but the results, as reflected in percentages of survival, had been a matter of serious concern because of sheer negligence of people in looking after the ill fated plants, like newborn babies left unattended on the roads!!

The act of tree plantation is one of the noblest humanitarian works for everyone, to realize that not only human beings but the biodiversity also will go extinct gradually if there are no trees available. Nature has provided everything to everyone to live their life happily but the downfall of the so called civilized ‘Homosapiens’ will eventually come about because of the sheer selfishness.

Uddhab Chandra Sarmah

Tinsukia

Ramakrishna Mission Road turns into a garbage dumping area

The Ramakrishna Mission Road has turned into a dumping ground after the Chabipul Beelpar dumping area has been relocated here. The lack of dumping spaces has always been a major issue of concern, forever putting into risk the health of the locals. Although the Administration focuses on the vision and goals of building a smart city, it is not living up to its claims.

It is a big disappointment that, despite being evident that a government school and an orphanage are close to the dumping area, this very area has been allocated for dumping purpose.

Passing by the garbage area has become a challenge for the locals and passersby.

The garbage piles up and pollutes the entire area due to the negligence of the GMC workers.

It is the responsibility of the concerned authority to check the environment before allocating an area for a dumping site. The stench emanating from the garbage dumped in this area of the city is making life miserable for the residents as well as the students. Quick action is the need of the hour!

Rajashree Das,

Guwahati

The school

adminstration

I would like to express my opinion over teachers who are working at the primary or secondary level schools. In comparison to the past, nowadays it seems that teachers are compelled to work double, apart from their subjects. They are getting engaged in other works of administration, which are totally not the part of their syllabus at all. However, considering all those issues, if the school administration starts making appreciative report cards at the end of every month, where teachers are felicitated for their best performance, then I am pretty sure that such kind of acts will give a special feeling to this respected profession. Teachers are the primary pillars of every profession in the world and therefore, school authorities must keep in their conscious mind about upholding the status and dignity of teachers, irrespective of the level of classes they are teaching.

By continuance of such practices, there will be a healthy and positive competitive environment among all respected teachers and this will result in a guarantee of quality based learning which will be directly beneficial to all the students. Hence, it will be a win-win situation for the students, teachers as well as the concerned school administration.

Rituraj Tiwari

Guwahati

Let us celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesha festival

Festivals in India are generally celebrated with all the accompanying frills, and the same is true for Ganesh Chaturthi. Right from handpicking flowers and decking up puja rooms and pandals, to making modaks filled with coconut and jaggery, people tend to immerse themselves in a host of activities. However, often, during the course of the celebration, we don’t realize the extent of harm we might be causing to the environment. Many of the Ganesha idols that are sold in the market are made of plastic, thermocol, POP, and other non-biodegradable materials, which, when immersed in water bodies, have a detrimental effect on both the plant and animal life. Even the Rangoli colours available in the market, which are used for decorative purposes, contain hazardous substances like mica, acids and glass powders. Since these colours cannot be decomposed biologically, they tend to degrade the surrounding spaces. It might not sound very significant, but even the plastic used to pack or give away the prasad, adds to the existing pollution in the environment. For the decoration, we must use only fresh flowers, earthen diyas and electric bulbs.

We must avoid the usage of shiny ribbons, thermocol, plastic beads, etc, as they all end up as waste. For the puja, we must use only fresh flowers, fruits, coconut, mango leaves, tulsi, grass and betel nut leaves. We must avoid purchasing betel nut, haldi-kumkum or other puja items in packets, as they typically cannot be recycled. Instead, we must purchase the whole betel nut or buy haldi-kumkum in a box. Also, we must use a reusable bag when shopping.

Immersion of Ganesha idols in lakes, tanks, rivers, and other water bodies is not good for the environment and marine life. Many-a-time, the idols do not dissolve entirely and leaves pollutants behind. Hence, symbolic immersion in the comfort of your home is a better option. Any huge bucket or a pit can be used for this. Hence, this time around, let’s look at some ways in which we can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with all the pomp and ceremony, but without harming the planet.

JubelD’Cruz,

Mumbai