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School children in Assam to learn the importance on Nature
On June 5, Assam’s chief minster spoke about the importance of saving the nature and steps being taken to work towards saving it.
We need to take a step towards saving the nature and there is no better way than inculcating the habits in little buds.
On June 5, the Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal spoke at a state-level function organised on the 44th World Environment Day. There, he said that environment education will be made a part of the school curriculum in the state and believes that this program would bring schoolchildren closer to nature and inculcate in them a sense of urgency to protect the environment.
"Inclusion of issues related to protection and conservation of the environment will improve children's understanding and knowledge about the problem and once they grow up they will automatically become the protectors of nature," he said.
The minister asked the environment and forest department to work out the details with the education department. He also distributed prizes to the winners of an art competition in schools, organised on World Environment Day today.
"Awareness has to be created to preserve our state's bio-diversity. Towards this end, we must involve the students in the conservation campaign in a big way," he said.
Environment and forests minister Pramila Rani Brahma was also present at the function, which was jointly organised by the environment and forests department, Pollution Control Board and Assam Science Technology and Environment Council at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra auditorium at Panjabari.
The chief minister spoke about the adverse effects of earthquakes and storms this year, leaving a trail of destruction, which was never seen before.
"This could be the result of overall environmental degeneration. Time has come for us to think deeply about it or else we have to experience worse situations in future," Sonowal said.
On the rise of rhino poaching in the state, Sonowal said his government has given special emphasis on preventing rhino poaching at Kaziranga National Park. For this purpose, a permanent office of the principal chief conservator of forests is being set up there. "Presence of senior officials will ensure better monitoring and also lift the morale of the frontline forest staff deployed at the national park," he said.
He said frequent killing of rhinos has brought a bad name to the state. "The unfortunate incident of the killing of a rhino at Kaziranga during the recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife Kate, has embarrassed the state before the world as their visit was broadcasted in as many as 45 countries,"
He said this particular incident has exposed "our weakness before the world and we must turn this into strength". He appealed to the people living in the fringe areas of the national park not to provide any sort of support or shelter to poachers
Sonowal said the state government has set a target to plant five crore saplings in the next four months and seek the people's cooperation to achieve it.
Nearly 6,000 saplings were planted in four development blocks under west revenue circle of Jorhat.
Image Courtesy: telegraphindia, UBphotos