Along with the rest of the world, the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) along with the Forest Department, Government of Meghalaya, has taken a concerted effort in informing and sensitizing the public and especially its youth about the World Environment Day. World View Impact Foundation, an international NGO with consultative status at the United Nations was also involved in organising the event. To this end World Environment Day, 2014 was celebrated at the Convention Hall on the 5th Of June, 2014. The Chief Guest at the programme was Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya. They were several participants at the programme including several numbers of schools from East Khasi Hills District, NGOs, government officials and other members of society.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya stated that “the Government of Meghalaya has responded appropriately to create an enabling environment for all our friends to participate in this very important agenda and to ensure that kind of integration of efforts, we (government) have structured a mission mode intervention called Mission Green.” Mission Green offers the stakeholder innumerable opportunities which are creative and innovative and it also offers different components of interventions to allow stakeholders to achieve their objectives. Mr. Sangma appealed for adoption of greener and more efficient technologies available.
The Chief Minister stated that it was important to reach out to the youth as they are the beacon of hope for the future. He also said that “the environment is everybody’s concern” and we should pool in all our strength and resources to ameliorate the degrading environmental conditions that are around us and the world at large.
Mr. P. Tynsong, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Meghalaya stated that the report on the State of Environment of Meghalaya took into account the opinion of all stakeholders and drew up a priority list of the environmental problems we face today. The list consisted of bio-diversity loss, deforestation, shifting cultivation, water pollution, mining activities and urban urbanization. He stated that he was happy to see the administrative control over the State Pollution Board being transferred to the Forest and Environment Department. He appealed to all the participants and citizens of the state to take a pledge to make Meghalaya clean and green through conservation of forest and environment.
The welcome speech was given by Mr. Barkos Warjri, IAS, Addl. Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya. Mr. Warjri stated that, “It is important for us to not get swamped by global warming. Global warming will result the rise of sea levels and affect coastal areas and displace people.” He was concerned over the polluted oceans, river and lakes which would lead to contamination of our food resources.
The next speaker was Mr. W. M. S. Pariat, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya. Mr. Pariat highlighted the salient features of the Mission Green which is a part of the Integrated Basin development & Livelihood promotion programme (IBDLP). The main objectives of Mission Green as stated by Mr. Pariat are “enhancing sustainable green cover, adopting green technologies and building up a movement for nature and conservation”. A useful facet of this Mission declared by Mr. Pariat was that the mission always looks forward to the mobilisation of “Green Volunteers” in each and every village in the state since environmental protection must be a people’s movement, involving every individual in the state.
A short message by Mr. Archim Steiner, executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme was televised to the Convention Hall and this was followed by a screening of a short film titled as “Of forest and men”. Aroha Choir performed a couple of musical numbers. The songs were thematic and stressed on the need to do our bit as citizens to improve our environment. Mrs. Pauline Warji commented on how she felt that even though she did not have the official capacity to make changes in and around the city, she hoped that her music could inspire people to stand up and take responsibility to make the change they want to see.
As the next speaker, Mr. Cyril Diengdoh, IAS, SDO, Sohra gave a brief presentation on the success met with Eco Clubs Initiatives. He cited the example of the Sohra Eco Club as a model of how to get the community to participate and claim ownership in protecting its assets. The students who are part of the club are just not inactive member but rather are agents of change in a town that has lost some of it shine and glory.
The ceremony culminated with the planting of tree saplings.