Sootea legislator’s initiative for plantation on 21-km stretch of highway

JAMUGURIHAT: The people of Sootea in Biswanath district and of Jamuguri in Sonitpur district on Monday have witnessed a unique and exceptional celebration of World Environment Day and a good number of people including women and students despite the scorching heat took part in it with tremendous enthusiasm. In a novel praiseworthy initiative to restore the degrading environment and for the beautification of the newly-constructed for lane highway from Chowkighat on the eastern bank of river Bharali in Jamuguri in Sonitpur district to Sootea in Biswanath district, Sootea legislator Padma Hazarika has taken up for plantation on this 21 km long stretch of the highway with the saplings of cassia fistula (Golden Shower tree or Sonaru), Largerstroemia Speciosa (Queen’s Flower or Ejar), Delonix Regia or Krishnachura) and others.

Synchronizing with the worldwide celebration of ‘World Environment Day’ legislator Hazarika organized a brief inaugural function on NH 15 in front of the Heritage Sootea Police Station. Agriculture Minister Atul Bora taking part in the celebration planted saplings on the dividers of the National Highway. Secretary of Cultural Affairs B Kalyan Chakravarthy, Deputy Commissioner of Sonitpur Deba Kumar Mishra, CEO of Sonitpur Zila Parishad Karabi Karan, Superintendent of Police of Biswanath Nabin Singh, Commandant of 12th APBN Kamal Kumar Gupta, Commandant of Assam Rifles, office bearers of various organizations, senior citizens, journalist Bhargab Kumar Das, AGP activist of Darrang Naba Kumar Deka also took part in the plantation programme.

In the brief function, cultural activists of the locality enthralled the audience with various cultural programmes and a thought-provoking ‘street play’ on maintenance of the degrading environment. The World Environment Day celebration was also organized at Nag Shankar and Kusumtola. Significantly the jawans of 12th Battalion at Kusumtola and of Assam Regiment at Chariduar in Sonitpur district also took active role in the plantation drive which will be completed within this fortnight.

Talking to this correspondent, Legislator Hazarika said that all students, social organizations, 12th APBN, Assam Rifles have voluntarily come forward not only to take part in the plantation drive, but also expressed their willingness to shoulder the responsibility for the regular maintenance of the planted saplings. “I have arranged for the required nets for the fencing while all the stakeholders including the students and the villagers have arranged the required bamboos for the fencing of their own. The entire project will have an estimated cost of about Rs 60 lakhs,” said legislator Padma Hazarika and hoped that within next three years the entire 21 km stretch of the National Highway would be transformed into a beautiful stretch with the blooming colourful trees.

Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Sootea legislator Padma Hazarika planting a sapling on NH 15 at Sootea on Monday. (Sentinel)

Also Read: World Environment Day: ‘Use of non-degradable materials should be banned’

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