On the occasion of World Environment Day, directorate of women & child development along with state hub for empowerment of women, under women and child development department, Assam has planted more than 62,000 saplings on June 5 at Anganwadi centres under 230 ICDS projects, covering 35 districts in the state.
The initiative was taken forward in line with the objective of Mission LiFE, (lifestyle for environment), which was introduced by prime minister Narendra Modi on November 1, 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow.
The main objective of Mission LiFE is to mobilize more than 1 billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and conserving the environment.
Along with fulfilling the commitment under Mission LiFE, the WCD department has also initiated the campaign “planting a tree for a girl child”.
“This initiative marked the beginning of the campaign of ‘planting a tree for a girl child’ of WCD department, under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, which is now operational in all 35 districts of Assam. The campaign aimed at celebrating the worth of a girl child by way of celebrating the birth of a new born girl child with planting a tree in her name,” stated a press release from the department.
Saplings have been planted on June 5 by the Anganwadi workers in the presence of local community members, parents of new born girl child, WCD functionaries like child development project officers, supervisors, Poshan Abhiyan personal, and district hub for empowerment of women among others.
On official request for collaboration for the cause by women & child welfare department, the forest department, office of the principal conservator of forest, Govt of Assam, also collaborated in the initiative and provided 33,680 saplings free of cost, which were collected from the respective DFO offices by the officials of district social welfare offices and the remaining saplings were arranged by the WCD department.
“This step of WCD department along with forest department is envisaged to contribute to global reforestation efforts, restoring lost forests, repairing damaged ecosystems and mitigating climate changes along with celebrating the worth of every girl child in our society,” the release stated.
