CM urges countries like Japan, B’desh to work together to prevent river erosion

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the ‘Van Mahotsav’ celebration outside the Assembly on Monday, urged countries like Japan and Bangladesh to work together and help prevent river erosion.

Addressing a gathering that saw representation from the British Council and also from countries like Japan and Bangladesh, Banerjee said that Bengal and Bangladesh are full of rivers. She urged them to work together to check Ganga erosion.

“Bengal and Bangladesh are full of rivers. Every year we have to face cyclones or floods. Lands have been eroded along the coast of River Hooghly. After Cyclone Yaas around 15 crore trees were planted in the Sunderbans and Digha areas. We urge other countries to share expertise. We have set up cyclone shelters,” she said.

The ‘Van Mahotsav’ celebration was done amidst cultural programmes inside the Assembly premises. State Forest department celebrates “Van Mahotsav” every year with banners and hoardings being put at the strategic locations in the city and the districts, to create awareness against destruction of greenery and encourage plantation.

The Chief Minister has time and again reiterated the need for conservation of greenery. Forest department had urged the Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) across the districts to take a more proactive role in conservation of forest and wildlife. The Gram Panchayats were urged to encourage schools in their respective jurisdictions to take steps for saving greenery and assured of funds from her MPLAD.

The Sabujshree scheme launched in 2016 is a brainchild of the Chief Minister, in which saplings are given to the family of a newborn girl child during their release from the hospitals.

The state Forest department has already started digitisation of the forest boundaries across the state. The land records are being tallied for preparation of the boundary. The effort is aimed at preventing depletion of forest land.

State Forest department often distributes saplings among all the MLAs across the state to commemorate the occasion of Van Mahotsav. The MLAs receive the saplings through the Divisional Forest Officers in their respective districts.