The Assam government on Tuesday launched the ‘Brikshya Bandhu’ initiative, bringing more than 22 lakh students into a statewide plantation campaign aimed at planting over 1.5 crore saplings across the state over four days.
Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah formally launched the initiative at the Sri Sri Damodardev International Auditorium at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The plantation drive will continue from August 11 to 14 as part of the Amrit Brikshya Andolan.
The campaign has brought together 11,277 educational institutions, with 21,28,495 students already registered. The Forest Department has so far supplied around 1.57 crore saplings to participating institutions.
Seven educational institutions participated in the central launch programme in Guwahati, while schools and students from across Assam joined the event virtually.
Addressing the gathering, Mallabaruah said the initiative was intended not merely to expand Assam’s green cover but also to instil a long-term sense of responsibility among young people towards planting, protecting and nurturing trees.
The programme also includes a mechanism to monitor the survival of the saplings. With technical assistance from AMTRON, students will upload geo-tagged photographs of their planted saplings on the Amrit Brikshya Andolan portal.
After six months, around January, students will upload a second photograph to document the growth and survival of the trees. Those who successfully complete the process will receive an online ‘Brikshya Bandhu’ certificate, recognising them as “Friends of Trees”.
Mallabaruah stressed that the plantation programme should not be treated as a one-day activity but as a six-month journey. Planting a sapling, he said, is only the beginning, and students must take responsibility for nurturing and protecting the plants to ensure their survival.
The minister also announced plans for a larger plantation initiative called ‘Folbari’, under which the Forest Department intends to prepare around one crore indigenous fruit-bearing saplings by next April. The planned varieties include mango, jamun, leteku, paniyal and jackfruit.
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu highlighted the growing threat posed by climate change and said increasingly frequent extreme weather events underline the need for collective efforts to protect the environment.
Emphasising the importance of green cover, Pegu said tree plantation is among the most significant actions ordinary citizens can undertake to address climate-related challenges.
He urged students to care for the saplings with the same affection and attention they extend to young birds, ensuring that the plants become strong and healthy before being established in suitable locations.
The four-day ‘Brikshya Bandhu’ campaign, being conducted ahead of Independence Day, seeks to turn students into active participants in Assam’s environmental conservation efforts.
With more than 22 lakh students expected to plant over 1.5 crore saplings, the initiative aims to create a large-scale youth-led movement towards a greener and more sustainable Assam.