Meghalaya is aiming to plant 1.5 million trees on World Environment Day 2019 in the State to enter into the Guinness Record.
Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Ram Singh convened a meeting recently with the district officials, traders and others to discuss and execute the plan of action for World Environment Day.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner informed that the Government of Meghalaya has already launched the Meghalaya One Citizen One Tree (MOCOT) Campaign on World Environment Day, 2018 which aims at mobilising citizens of the State towards taking responsibility for improving the green cover in the State alongside the initiative of the Government. And the ultimate goal is to conserve and restore the fragile eco-systems of the State to achieve sustainable development, he added.
In addition to these, this year, the government aims to build on last year’s campaign and to take it to the next level by involving larger section of the citizens, both in rural and urban areas, he said. Further, the government departments have been mobilised to take up large scale plantation works with numerous activities including planting of trees in vulnerable catchment areas where 20 localities will be mobilised to visit villages on World Environment Day and participate in the planting of trees at various locations and avenue plantation along identified National Highways.
The Deputy Commissioner also directed the concerned line departments to collaborate in identifying catchment areas, supply of planting materials, etc., in order to ensure that the programme is a success. Further, the MBDA will monitor the Social Media Campaign for online registration of citizens to participate in the programme.
Further, referring to various directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) towards maintaining the environment and ecological balance, the Deputy Commissioner has called for digging of pits and properly dump all domestic particularly commercial and bio-medical discards like syringes with needles which poses serious health hazards. He stated that some pharmacies in the town are reported to be randomly and wantonly throwing it in the road-side bins. Informing that there are standard guidelines by NGT for proper disposal of all these materials, the Deputy Commissioner warned of severe punitive actions for all defaulting and negligent medical stores.
Coming down heavily on people who randomly throw used diapers and sanitary pads on roadsides, the Deputy Commissioner said that the scavenging birds and stray dogs feed on these and scatter it all around creating eyesores for pedestrians. He, therefore, directed all concerned not to dump waste materials on roadside bins but to collect it in garbage bags and hand it over to Municipal garbage collecting van when they come for collection.
In this regard, he also directed the Chief Executive Officer of Tura Municipal Board to streamline the system and notify the collection time and point to the public. Further, nobody should bring their domestic waste materials to the roadside bins on Sundays as there shall be no collection of garbage on that day.
Reiterating his tirade against plastic bags and water bottles, the Deputy Commissioner, directed all shopkeepers including vegetable vendors not to use plastic bags with more than 50 micron thickness and warned that if any shop is found still supplying it will be charged Rs 4,000/- per month as fees and urged the public to make the habit of bringing their paper or cloth bags while shopping.
