Port Blair, July 4: The month long event of 67th Van Mahotsav was got underway on Monday with an awareness rally. The rally was flagged off from Van Sadan by the Addl. PCCF, Mr D.M. Shukla and a large number of nature enthusiasts including students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, No.1, Port Blair, teachers, senior officers, staff and trainees of the Department of Environment and Forests participated. The Rally took the way through the Delanipur Chowk, Phoenix Bay, Light House, Clock Tower and reached upto the Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School at 8:30 AM. They were received by a cheering crowd of little school children who later, alonwith the senior officers and teachers participated in a mass tree plantation. About 200 plants, viz., jackfruit, guava, banana and a few ornamental species like Peltophorum spp., Cassia spp., Polyalthia, etc. were planted in the school campus.
The Addl. PCCF, Smt. Jayashree Ardey Chauhan steered the function as the chief guest, whereas, Smt. Sangeeta Chand Principal of the Govt. Girls’ Senior Sec. School was the guest of honour. Welcoming the gathering to the celebration of 67th Van Mahotsav, Smt. Sangeeta Chand, Principal, Govt. Girls’ Senior Sec. School, stressed upon the responsibilities that schools have in inculcating the ideology of Environmental Conservation and explained how the school has pledged to protect the trees being planted. She also informed that the Govt. Girls’ Senior Sec. School is the only school here in Port Blair to have a vermi-compost of its own. Following this, groups of students enthralled the audience with their scintillating performances of a Welcome song and a Bharatnatyum dance. The Chief Guest in her address, while admiring the enthusiasm and vigour of the school children expressed appreciation for the school management for instilling the young minds with the values of conservation through planting of trees and caring for them. She related how planting of trees is the essence of Indian Culture. She appealed and made known her optimism that the school children are the most important torch-bearers for conservation and are the harbingers of all round prosperity of our Nation. The programme came to its conclusion with a vote of thanks tendered by DFO, FE&P Division.
