Shillong, June 15: The team of Project Clean Surrounding, led by Jefferson Kynjing, on Friday planted 1,500 saplings of fruit trees at Sutnga, a village hit by illegal coal mining, in East Jaintia Hills.
The team collaborated with Sutnga Presbyterian Church to plant the saplings with the help of residents, church members and students.
“There will be two persons to monitor the saplings. We will also visit the place after a year maybe to check the trees,” said Kynjing.
Besides environmental reasons, the fruit trees were planted so that locals would have a livelihood. Kynjing said the initiative would create an awareness of promoting greenery, especially in the areas affected by mindless coal mining.
“This is our way of bringing back the greenery of the place where it once used to be. Sutnga Elaka is the most exploited area by the coal barons. Through the church, we want to raise awareness to bring back the greenery and environmental balance of the place,” added Kynjing.
Those involved in the programme were the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, Balang Presbyterian Sutnga, the donors of the saplings and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Regional Office Lumbatngen.
“Our dedicated team members should also be lauded for their hard work,” said Kynjing.
