SHILLONG, JUNE 5: As part of the World Environment Day 2014 observation, Meghalaya Governor KK Paul planted tree saplings at Raj Bhawan premises and at Ward’s Lake in the presence of MS Rao, principal secretary to the Governor and Forest and Environment department CP Marak, additional principal chief conservator of forest and SA Nongsiej, District Forest Officer, Social Forestry Division, East Khasi hills.
The tree saplings planted by Paul is the Himalayan Blue Pine and its scientific name is Pinus wallichiana from the family of Pinaceae.
The Himalayan Blue Pine tree is indigenous to temperate zones of the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Bhutan between latitude 27° to 28° N and between elevations of 1220 metres to 3660 metres and where annual rainfall is between 1016 to 1905 mm with heavy snowfall in winter.
The tree tolerates wide range of soils provided it is not excessively wet or dry and the tree naturally regenerates abundantly in openings. The evergreen conifer tree reached up to 40 metres in height. The tree also forms early growth slow, frost resistant and fire tender, slightly drought resistant and light demander.
The leaves (needles) of the tree in fascicles of five are 12 to 18 cm long, flexible along their length, often droop gracefully and cones are long and slender between 16 to 32 cm and their seeds are 5 to 6 mm long with a 20 to 30 mm wing.
The tree yield timber of good quality, resinous, fairly light, moderately hard, durable and easily worked. The main uses of the timber of the tree are for general construction timber, interior finish, joinery, teachests, resin, shelter, pulpwood and soil conservation.
Meanwhile chief minister Mukul Sangma said environmental degradation has a negative impact on the economy as well as draining out the state’s exchequer and directed all line departments to come up with action plan while observing the World Environment Day.
“Huge amount of the state’s exchequer had to be spent due to environmental degradation,” Sangma said as he pointed out that because of many factors the ground water table has depletion, catchment areas are destroyed leading to the drying up of rivers.
Addressing the World Environment Day function organized under the Mission Green Meghalaya of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), Sangma informed that the government had to spent for health of the people because of indoor and outdoor pollution. He informed this has led to the outbreak of diseases including vector water borne diseases taking a toll on people’s health because of lack of clean drinking water.
Sangma said,”It is therefore important to talk about actionable plans to deal and address issues relating to environmental conservation.” According to him, one of the main objectives of the mission green of the MBDA is to reach out to the youths who are the instruments of change.
Sangma said for the successful implementation of the mission green, which aims at addressing issues relating to the environment, it will need active participation of all.- By Our Reporter
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