 Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 21: Taking Swachh Bharat Abhiyan further to rural hinterland in Jammu, Department of Ecology, Environment, Remote Sensing today organized cleanliness awareness event at sacred environs of Siddh Gauri Temple premises and outside at Gho-Brahmanan where devotees were provided eco-friendly bags in place of harmful polybags for carrying prasad and flowers.Volunteers comprising of local devotees, villagers, men, women, kids took brooms in hands and symbolic cleanliness picking up of scattered polybags, plastic containers was carried out in lanes,byelanes of Gho Brahmanan near Siddh Gauria deity.
Focusing on sacred trees, Director Environment O P Sharma elaborated that tree planting at sacred spaces need to be undertaken with native species of cultural, religious, medicinal & ecological significance. Trees like Sita Ashok, Parijat, Arjun, Peepal, Bargad, Amla, Palash, Thubb, Bael, Kapithaya, Kadamb, Maulsari, Satpatiya, Buddha's coconut need prioritization over exotics.
Prof Bholanath Sharma traced tree conservation to Bishnoi community of Jodhpur Rajasthan, Chipka movement of Uttrakhand and appealed participants to phase out plastics to save extinction of water bodies and Suryaputri Tawi in the interest of real prosperity. Botanist Shashikant Lakhanpal motivated children & elders to make it a habit not to present plastic bouquets, plastic wrapped gifts but gift sacred medicinal or edible plant saplings to mark birthdays, marriage anniversaries. Sarpanch of the village Rampal Sharma applauded role of locals in maintaining park near village pond at Gho Brahmanan and praised efforts & commitment of Environment Department in reaching Siddh Suankha despite Sunday. |
