Ranchi/Gumla, The Jharkhand government on Friday launched a forest conservation drive under which rakhis will be tied to 1 lakh trees across the state, an official said.
The initiative was launched by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjiv Kumar, who tied a rakhi to a Sal tree in Jorag village in Gumla district. “Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of trust and the unbreakable bond between siblings. We share a similar bond with nature. So, it is our duty to protect the environment. These trees have now been significantly contributing to villagers’ livelihoods. This is not the only case.
“As part of the save tree drive, villagers, forest officials and staff will jointly tie rakhis to 1 lakh trees in 700 villages across 24 districts. The drive will continue for a month with a target of tying rakhis to 3 lakh trees in identified villages,” Kumar said. A brainchild of Kumar, the initiative was first taken in 2004 in a once Maoist-affected village, Lukaiya in Tundi block of Dhanbad district. Since then, more than 12,000 villages have been linked to this programme across the state, he said. “Through this initiative, more than 20,000 Mahua trees were protected in the Lukaiya village.
He said the campaign seeks to create an emotional connect between villagers and forests. The campaign aims to engage people with nature emotionally,” he said. The campaign helped many villages grow minor forest produce, adding to villagers’ livelihoods,” he said.
