June 5 : World Environment Day :: Go Green Call
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 07 2019 -

Cleaning both sides of Nambul River and planting more than 50,000 tree saplings in one hour.

Massive exercise of mobilising manpower and covering over 950 schools and 80 colleges, and surely the State Government seems to have taken the call of World Environment Day seriously.

Air Pollution was the theme and apart from the Government agencies mobilising manpower and whatever resources it has, it was encouraging to see so many voluntary organisations and individuals pitching in and planting tree saplings in different parts of the State.

Involving the young children in the tree planting exercise was another positive sign that was witnessed.

The question however stands whether planting tree saplings and going green would just be a one day affair in a calendar year with no positive follow ups in the days to come.

This is where the Government will need to lead from the front.

It absolutely makes no sense at all to cut trees for road widening purposes and this observation comes from the trees that were cut down when Tiddim Road was expanded from Keishampat traffic point to the Airport some years back.

Same was the case when Singjamei road was widened earlier.

Did the day sensitise the people on the need to save the environment ?

If yes, to what extent ?

Does the school syllabus focus on the environment or is environment just another subject to be learnt ?

How about forming Green Brigades in all the schools where students should be made to attend Green Brigade meetings once a week ?

Make attendance compulsory and let it reflect in the total marks scored in the Class X and Class XII board examinations.

Plastic carry bags are convenient, very convenient.

There is no doubt about that, but educate the people in such a way that they need to overlook the convenience part for in the long run it would mean slowly strangulating mother earth to death.

Make everyone aware of the importance to have their own carry bags when they go shopping.

Remember the cloth made carry bags of yesteryears ?

If those bags could serve the purpose of an earlier generation, there is no reason why it cannot now.

This is specially so when the rivers, nullahs or khongbans are slowly and gradually being inundated by plastics blocking the free flow of water leading to localised flooding.

The current heat wave in the country, with even Imphal reeling under heat in the last few days should be more than enough indication that nature has been violated with impunity to an alarming level.

It will need the conscientious efforts of all to arrest the degradation of the environment and as stated earlier, the Government should take the lead.

Alternative means of livelihood should be studied and pursued vigorously especially in the hills where vast tracts of forest land have been rendered treeless.

Deforestation needs to be checked and for this the co-operation of the local clubs and youth organisations must be sought.

In short, the essence of World Environment Day should not only be about planting trees on June 5 every year but should entail sensitising the people on the need to go green.