Green crusaders fight to clean river, save trees

BALURGHAT: Social welfare organisations held various events to mark the World Environment Day in South Dinajpur on Wednesday.

A tree plantation programme was organised by an NGO on Atreyee river ghat and in adjacent areas of Balurghat Circuit House building.

A special edition of Kishor Gyan Vigyan, a popular Bengali science fiction magazine, stressing on the importance and means to save Atreyee river from pollution, was published.

The organizer in association with Tree Warrior and East Bengals Fans Club initiated an awareness campaign to eradicate pollutants from the river banks of Atreyee.

"We conducted a tree plantation programme on the occasion of World Environment Day at Balurghat as we are under the threat of environmental pollution and trees are our best friends which can save us from the impending danger. Only tree plantation can save us," said a member of the NGO.

"We have taken up the mission to clean Atryee river but the task is not easy. The river that flows across Balurghat has been affected by many pollutants over the years due to the callousness of people. The river is now under the threat of becoming an ecological disaster," the NGO member said.

A tree-plantation programme and a cultural event were organised on World Environment Day in Teor Vivekananda Sishu Niketan by an NGO in association with the department of District Legal Services Authority (South Dinajpur).

Schoolchildren took part in the event. They performed recitation, played music and sang songs. An awareness rally with the message of saving environment was also organised.

"Saving environment means saving people. We have to protect our environment at any cost. We celebrated World Environment Day with grandeur. Schoolchildren, who are our future, took part in it," said a member involved in organising the events.