Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2020-21 released

Chandigarh.5 June,2020: The World Environment Day is celebrated on 5^th June every year to create awareness about Environment and to sensitize people towards their duty to preserve and conserve environment. Every year a theme is declared to give attention to specific environmental problem. This year’s theme is ‘Biodiversity’.

On this occasion, today, Sh.V.P.Singh Badnore, Hon’ble Governor of Punjab & the Administrator, UT Chandigarh released the ‘Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2020-21’ prepared by Forest Department, Chandigarh, in Punjab Raj Bhawan, Chandigarh in the presence of Sh.Manoj Parida, IAS, Adviser to the Administrator, Sh.Arun Kumar Gupta, IAS, H.S.-cum-Principal Secretary Forests, Sh.A.K.Sinha, IAS, Finance Secretary, Chandigarh Administration. This Plan has envisaged 2,55,000 saplings to be planted during 2020-21. The target of plantation assigned to Forest Department is 70,000 saplings and Horticulture Wing of Engineering Department is 30,000 saplings and Municipal Corporation is 50,000 saplings, while the balance is to be achieved by involving other stakeholders such as NGOs, Schools, RWAs, etc.

 Shri Debendra Dalai, IFS, CCF, Chandigarh informed that UT Chandigarh takes pride in having preserved about 46% of the total area under forest and green cover.  To increase green cover in U.T. Chandigarh, “Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2019-20” was prepared for implementation by all the greening agencies. Speaking on the occasion, Sh.Debendra Dalai, IFS informed that World Environment Day reminds us of our responsibility towards nature and nature conservation. Due to COVID-19 and prevailing lockdown condition, we have realized how the nature has started healing and made us realize how we can contribute in maintaining a balance in nature.

After the event of releasing Greening Chandigarh Action Plan 2020-21,  a ceremonial plantation was conducted by Forest Department, UT Chandigarh at Nagar Van (City Forest) where saplings of Banyan tree, Neem, etc. were planted by Sh.Debendra Dalai, IFS, Sh.T.C.Nautiyal, IFS, CF and Dr.Abdul Qayum, IFS, DCF alongwith staff  of the Department.

Due to COVID 19 pandemic, the World Environment Day was celebrated also by inviting school students and public online for participation in the Poster Making, Repurposed Art, Poetry Contests, etc. and accordingly 970 students participated in different activities like Inter School Short Mobile Video Contests, Inter-School Poster Making, Inter-School Repurposed Art Contest, Inter-School Poetry Contests with the support of teachers and  NGO – Yuvsatta.  Other activities also conducted i.e. Best out of   Waste-Create anything from something, Create a Garden @ Your own  Home - Vertical Garden from Waste Material- Look for a simple, easy, and cheap way to create a garden, Painting on the earthen pots and fused bulbs with slogans- such as 'Stay indoors, Stay Safe' and 'Be Safe all in Lockdown & with a Green Message on Biodiversity.  Such activities has brought awareness about environmental protection and to encourage children about action for recycling, fighting global warming, cleaning up pollution and many other issues.

Online Green Quiz Competition was held at 12.00 Noon on 5^th June by Environment Deptt, UT Chandigarh where more than 1100 students participated in the live green quiz contest.