Over 3,000 saplings planted in Arunachal Pradesh sub-division

Itanagar: Over 3,000 saplings were planted as part of Mission Green Miao in a sub-division of Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, an official said.

The initiative aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, Miao additional deputy commissioner Ibom Tao said.

The saplings were planted on a 26-km stretch of road between Namchik and Miao.

The plantation programme in Miao, a sub-division under Changlang district, is under the ‘Mission Arunachal LiFE Campaign’, a part of the Pakke Declaration.

The state cabinet had on November 13, 2021, adopted the ‘Pakke Declaration 2047’, aimed at “climate-resilient development” in the state.

The declaration envisages a multi-sectoral approach towards low emission and climate-resilient development through five broad themes -- forest and climate change, health and well-being of all, sustainable and adaptive living, livelihoods and opportunities and evidence generation and collaborative action.

“The sub-division is witnessing rapid climate changes in the recent past due to an increase in human activities, including deforestation, agriculture and horticulture activities besides rapid industrialisation. We decided to initiate a rejuvenation plan to mitigate the climate change effect with the hope that human intervention will surely reduce environmental impacts,” Tao said.

Under the new mission, over 5,000 ornamental trees and fruit-bearing trees would be planted along the roads and in vulnerable villages respectively, he said.

“Our plantation drive will continue till World Environment Day on June 5 this year,” Tao said.

State Civil Supplies Minister Kamlung Mossang, who launched the plantation programme, urged people to take care of plants.

“We should take care of our forests, otherwise our future will be at stake. As global warming is a serious threat to mankind, through such efforts we can minimise the effect of climate change,” Mossang, who is also the local MLA said.