Large-scale plantation drive, 12 lakh saplings to be planted in Goalpara

A Correspondent

GOALPARA: The Goalpara district administration has undertaken a large-scale plantation drive and targeted to plant a mammoth 12 lakh saplings in the district prior to August 15. Besides forest, several other departments have already begun the operation on a war-footing and reached 75 per cent of the total target.

“We have already achieved satisfactory progress and planted nine lakh saplings and we are sure to fulfil our target on time,” remarked Varnali Das, Deputy Commissioner, on Sunday in a government programme. The areas earmarked in the mission, besides reserve forests, are the hills, waste lands, school campus, roadsides and government buildings.

The Deputy Commissioner further informed the significance of taking 12 lakh as target. He said, “As per the census of 2011, Goalpara district has 10 lakh plus population which is supposed to have crossed 12 lakh in 2018. So, if every single person in the district plants one plant then our mission will be accomplished.”

The mission was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on July 27 at Dudhnoi and since then the different government agencies, including the development blocks and schools, contributed to the cause. Administration sources reported that around seven lakh saplings have already been planted by the forest department and two lakh by the district rural development agency. Goalpara Police have exclusively planted trees alongside the NH-54 from Paikan to Kukurkata.