Students pledge to protect flora and fauna of Assam

MANGALDAI, Nov 30: An awareness campaign on environment conservation was undertaken by the students of Udalguri district which began on November 26 last. In view of the ongoing men-elephant conflict that took a serious turn along the Indo-Bhutan border in Udalguri district of BTAD, a large number of students took out an environment conservation rally traversing a distance of nearly 50 km displaying placards and shouting slogans like “save nature save life,” “wild animals our friends, not enemies” and “protect our green environment.”

The awareness campaign received tremendous response at Garuajhar village under Panery Police Station as a large number of villagers participated in the rally from Garuajhar High School to Nonoipara. According to the villagers, the programme is a novel idea and that it would help to check forest destruction.

Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society (GVFWPS), a local NGO, in association with a few nature-loving personalities like Udalguri Deputy Commissioner Suttumali Subbaiah Meenaxi Sundaram and Harisinga Revenue Circle Officer Dithaka Nanda Hazarika organized the awareness campaign. Forest officers Bharat Deka and Kushal Deka; Special Police officer Chandra Deka and Balipara Krishak Mukti High School Headmaster Shahiruddin Ahmed also extended their cooperation towards the campaign.

The rally originated at Balipara near Kalaigaon in Udalguri district where Chaibari High School Headmaster Gauri Shankar Das flagged off the rally. The students of the school then moved to Hattigorh Forest office, Ghagra Bengali Basti, Hattigorh Market and Beltola in several vehicles and took part at several meetings. As a part of the campaign, an attractive procession was organized from Ghagra to Beltola Chariali.

Wildlife activist Debanga Mahaliya, wildlife warden and journalist Bhargab Kumar Das and retired lecturer Binoy Kumar Medhi addressed the campaign and stressed on the need for conservation of the remaining flora and fauna of Assam. Local MLA Nagendra Narzary, BTC MCLA Rajen Narzary and Rahindra Nath Brahma also participated in the rally.

All the students who participated in the campaign rally pledged to protect and conserve wildlife and nature and to extend a helping hand to all the efforts to be undertaken in the days to come for conservation of nature. THE SENTINEL