Assam Launches ₹1.5-Crore Sapling Plantation Drive With Over 22 Lakh Students Under 'Brikshya Bandhu' Initiative

Guwahati, August 11 - Over 22 lakh students, from Class VI upwards, are set to plant more than 1.5 crore saplings in Assam over a four-day period as part of the 'Brikshya Bandhu' initiative. Environment & Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah inaugurated the project at the Damodardev International Auditorium in Guwahati. The plantation will occur from August 11 to 14, as part of the Amrit Brikshya Andolan.

Over 11,277 educational institutions across the state have registered a total of 21,28,495 students for the event; the Forest Department has already distributed 1.57 crore saplings to participating schools. Seven institutions participated in the launch ceremony in Guwahati, while students from across the state joined through online platforms.

Minister Mallabaruah expressed gratitude to the students, teachers, Education Department, Forest Department officials and all others involved. He emphasized that the initiative would foster environmental responsibility among the youth and noted a system for tracking the survival of planted saplings via geo-tagged photographs on the Amrit Brikshya Andolan portal.

Students who successfully complete the process will receive online certificates as 'Friends of Trees'. Minister Mallabaruah described the plantation drive as a six-month commitment, rather than a single-day event, stressing the importance of nurturing and protecting the saplings for maximum survival. He also announced plans to prepare around a crore indigenous fruit-bearing saplings for a subsequent 'Folbari' initiative by next April.

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu highlighted the impact of climate change and the urgency of collective action to protect the environment. He emphasized that tree plantation is one of the most significant actions individuals can take to combat climate-related challenges, urging students to care for saplings as they would young birds, ensuring their growth before settling them in suitable locations.

The 'Brikshya Bandhu' initiative is being observed as a four-day state-wide drive leading up to Independence Day, reaffirming Assam’s collective commitment to nature conservation. More than 22 lakh students across the state will participate in planting over 1.5 crore saplings as part of the drive.