September 20, 2024
September 20, 2024
AALO, Mar 11: The fourth edition of two-day Forest Festival got underway amid a beautiful forest cover and wide range of activities at Kombo Pomte village here on Saturday.
Gracing the occasion as chief guest, Aalo Military Station Commander, Brigadier J S Budhwar, was all praise for the forest department for conducting such festival to create awareness on the importance of forest environment.
Stressing on conservation of forest products he said, “Each one plant one’ should be the principle maintain and keep intact the greeneries in the state. Use of plastic and polythene not only spoils the surroundings but also causes health.”
Former DFO cum RD and Panchayati Raj special secretary Nyali Ete expressed his happiness that the idea conceived by him to organise a Forest Festival at Aalo way back in 2014 has reached such a height in today’s date.
Ete urged the department, PRI, GBs and local people to continue giving their support and cooperation in future too.
Spelling out the aims and objectives of organising the festival, DFO Abhinab Kumar said that the festivity is an endeavour towards creating forest and environment friendly atmosphere while directly coming in close contact with local people.
He said that the state which was earlier covered with 80 percent of forest has gradually come down to 61 percent and the dwindling graph is a serious cause of concern. For this he added that a massive tree plantation drive is the only alternative to cover the losses.
Farm2Food Foundation, Vermicompost workshop, nature painting with kids by Karry Padu, WWF Film Festival, WWF workshop by Kamal Mehdi, responsive ecotourism workshop with Piran Elavia and workshop on biodiversity by Dr Kenjum Bagra were the main attractions of day one of the festival.
The departments of forest, textile and handicraft, APWWS, Galo Ane and local people of Kombo have also put up various exhibition stalls on forest seedlings, art and crafts, traditional wears and local food items at the venue. DIPRO
