Majuli to be India’s first carbon neutral district and biodiversity heritage site : Assam CM

While also launching “Forests are Lives” campaign to celebrate the importance of Assam’s rich forest and biodiversity, Chief Minister Sonowal stated that only till trees exist can humans live on this planet and he urged the people of the state to take a pledge to conserve its biodiversity to make Assam a pollution free state.

Saying that steps must be taken to generate more awareness among students to conserve nature, Sonowal directed the Forest Department to celebrate the international day of forest from next year in every school of the state.

Underlining state government’s goal to make “green Assam”, Sonowal said that everyone has to conserve nature and he urged all parents to gift one sapling to their children on their birthdays and inspire them to plant trees at all available spaces in their household premises.

Saying that nature has given us in plenty and while all living beings are promoting biodiversity human beings are worst degraders of nature and ecology. Hence it is a challenge to conserve nature but with continued support from the people government would be able to achieve its goal of pollution-free state, Sonowal added.   

Reiterating that tourists visit Assam to see its wildlife and nature, Sonowal said that continuous degradation of its ecology would adversely affect the economy of the state.

"Majuli is facing existential crisis and therefore initiatives like designating carbon neutral district and biodiversity heritage site are needs of the hour to preserve Majuli’s rich heritage and legacy," Sonowal said.

Underlining the importance of making the people of Majuli aware of these plans and taking them on board for effective implementation of the same, Chief Minister Sonowal also electronically launched a registry on Majuli biodiversity district.

The registry would record and analyse the climate impact of all proposed projects in Majuli.

It is to be mentioned here that the Sustainable Actions for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative is developing pathways to ensure that infrastructure in Majuli is low carbon.

Further declaration of Majuli as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), the first in the state, enforces the rich biological diversity in the wild and cultivated areas of the island and cultural heritage of Majuli and gives it a renewed identity.

The celebration is organised by Care Luit and IORA Ecological Solution with support from Assam State Biodiversity Board and State Forest Department.

Declaring that Assam Industrial Development Corporation and NGO partner Care Luit would organise Green Gold Bamboo Summit 2017 at the end of April this year at Guwahati, Sonowal highlighted the importance of bamboo plantation for the growth of state’s economy.

Stating that bamboo plantation is rooted in the state’s culture, Sonowal said that the government would invest more in organic sector like bamboo plantation to revitalise the bamboo based industries in the state.

Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Forest and Environment Minister Pramila Rani Brahma also spoke on the occasion along with Chief Secretary V.K. Pipersenia.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)