Assam plans massive drive to plant 1 crore saplings with 35 lakh women SHG members on World Environment Day
Guwahati, June 2
The Assam government planned a massive plantation drive involving over 35 lakh women Self-Help Group members of Assam, aiming at the plantation of 1 crore saplings on June 5 on the occasion of World Environment Day.
Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora said, "As part of the Assam government's commitment towards preserving ecological balance, a massive plantation drive has been planned involving over 35 lakh woman SHG members, aiming at 1 crore plantation across Assam on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5."
The Minister further said that the Government of Assam, "Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been consistently prioritising environmental protection and sustainable development through large-scale afforestation, forest reclamation initiatives, promotion of clean energy and the integration of modern technology in conservation efforts."
In preparation for this initiative, the Assam Minister attended a review meeting in Guwahati with senior officials of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department to take stock of the ongoing arrangements and implementation strategy for the plantation drive.
A senior official from the Environment and Forest Department also participated in the meeting.
The Minister directed the officials concerned to make all necessary arrangements to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the plantation drive across the state with active public participation and proper monitoring mechanisms.
"During the meeting, we also discussed ongoing initiatives under the P&RD Department, including the Lakhpati Baideo programme," Minister Atul Bora said.
Additional Chief Secretary, P&RD Department, B. Kalyan Chakravarthy; Commissioner, P and RD, Keerthi Jalli; Mission Director, ASRLM, Kuntalmoni Sarma Bordoloi; ASRLM SPMs Anindita Deka and Nabajit Bharali, Hirdesh Mishra, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Environment and Forest Department, along with other departmental officials, were present in the meeting.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good step by the Assam government, but I hope they choose native species and not just fast-growing exotic trees. The real challenge is survival rate—planting 1 crore is impressive, but what about watering and protection from grazing animals? Also, need to ensure these women get proper sapling quality and training. 👏
Impressive scale! 1 crore saplings in one day is no small feat. The SHG network is perfect for this—they have the grassroots reach and organizational capacity. I just hope there's a transparent monitoring system using something like geo-tagging. Without accountability, such drives become mere photo ops. Still, kudos to the Assam government.
Very good initiative. But I wish they would also focus on protecting the existing forests. In many parts of Assam, deforestation due to encroachment and illegal logging is still a problem. Planting new trees is great, but saving the ones we already have is equally important. Still, hats off to these 35 lakh women—they are the real changemakers!
As someone who works in environmental conservation, I am cautiously optimistic. 1 crore saplings in a day is ambitious. If even 60% survive, that's 60 lakh trees—a huge benefit for Assam's ecology. The involvement of women SHGs is a masterstroke; they have a stake in the success. My only concern: is there a concrete plan for maintenance over the next 3 years? That's where most green drives fail.
Great to see Assam taking such steps. I just returned from a trip to Kaziranga and saw first
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