Guwahati: Assam is set to witness a major community‑led environmental initiative this World Environment Day on Friday, with 35 lakh women from self‑help groups (SHGs) joining hands to plant one crore trees across the state.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma described the drive as a strong display of the state’s Nari Shakti, underlining how women are spearheading grassroots environmental action to build a greener Assam. “1 crore trees. 35 lakh women. One shared commitment for Assam’s future,” Sarma wrote in a post on his ‘X’ handle, on Wednesday.“This World Environment Day, our SHG members will lead one of the largest community driven plantation drives in the State, showing once again how Assam’s #NariShakti are driving change at the grassroots,” he added.State panchayat and rural development minister Atul Bora has directed officials to ensure smooth statewide execution of the plantation drive, with active public participation and effective monitoring.“The Government of Assam, under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble CM Dr. @himantabiswa, has been consistently prioritising environmental protection and sustainable development through large-scale afforestation, forest reclamation initiatives, promotion of clean energy and the integration of modern technology in conservation efforts,” Bora wrote in a social media post.Bora said the plantation drive is part of the state govt’s push to maintain ecological balance.Ahead of the programme, Bora chaired a review meeting in Guwahati with senior officials of the panchayat & rural development department to assess preparations and implementation plans. Senior officials from the environment & forest department also attended.Those present included B Kalyan Chakravarthy, additional chief secretary, P&RD department; Keerthi Jalli, commissioner, P&RD; Kuntalmoni Sarma Bordoloi, mission director, ASRLM; Anindita Deka and Nabajit Bharali, ASRLM SPMs; and Hirdesh Mishra, additional principal chief conservator of forests, environment & forest department, among others.
