Prioritise maintenance of plants over plantation on Harela, say prominent citizens
Thursday, 18 July 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Several prominent individuals based in Dehradun have stressed the importance of maintaining the saplings planted during the Harela celebration instead of the festival being reduced to acts of symbolic tree plantation sans follow-up maintenance.
Every year, the Harela is celebrated throughout the State with ministers and government officials participating in large-scale tree plantation activities.
But, as the eminent citizens argue, the focus is merely on commemorative planting and not on seeing to it that the saplings planted flourish into full-grown trees by taking little care in the form of installing tree guards and watering the plants.
The founder of Maiti Andoldan and prominent environmentalist Kalyan Singh said that he is baffled by the plummeting number of trees despite huge tree plantation drives being launched by the high and mighty aside from institutions, clubs and individuals to mark the Harela festival. “So, the pertinent question is: what is happening to the saplings planted? The answer is: most of such saplings wither away because they are not taken care of,” he said.
He stressed that the government should prioritise maintenance over formality during plantation programmes. “We may make it a rule that those who plant saplings during Harela this year must take selfies with the plants on the festival day the next year and display them for the people to see what has happened to the commemorative saplings-whether they are alive or have withered,” he added.
Speaking of this matter, a senior member of the Citizens For Green Doon (CFGD) Ira Chauhan said that there was less awareness in the past among the people and the government regarding the importance of trees. “The recent searing heat spell in Doon has made the previously indifferent people to sit up and think of the significance of trees,” she said.
She further pointed out that every year, commemorative tree plantation campaigns are carried out by ministers on the day of Harela festival to be followed by the mission sinking into oblivion. “What happens is that a day after the festival, people forget that it is their duty to ensure that these saplings- planted with great pomp and show- grow up into trees. They must be protected by putting up guards; they must be watered; they must be inspected regularly by those who planted them. Things are generally restricted to paying lip service to tree plantations on the Harela day and conveniently forgetting it the following day. Who will care to take pains to help them survive and grow?” she lamented.
