MUKTI Celebrated 70th Independence Day with a Mega Plantation Drive

Mukti, a non-profit organization working towards the socio-economic development in West Bengal, India has recently arranged a plantation drive named ‘Fale Fule Mukti’. The event was held in Purbo Sridharpur, Raidighi in the district of South 24 Parganas, WB, on our nation’s 70th Independence Day and was attended by many local school students and members from athletic clubs of the area. The inauguration of Fale Fule Mukti commenced with hoisting of our national flag by Mr. Sankar Halder, the president of MUKTI and the chief guest for the event, Mr. Biswajit Ghosh, police officer-in-charge of Raidighi. The members of MUKTI, along with the event attendees pledged together to undertake present and future plantation drives to combat the adverse effects of global warming and climate changes in the local area. Chief guest Mr. Ghosh in his opening remarks stated, that “Fale Fule Mukti is a great opportunity for us to show our concern and communal awareness to help reduce the environmental pollution, and provide a green and healthy place to inhabit for the people of South 24 Parganas.’

Air pollution in India has steadily been rising due to increase automobiles, urbanization, industrialization and cutting vegetation. In recent years, published reports claim that India has now surpassed China in the overall amount of fine particulate air pollutants causing serious health risks and are already contributing to increased premature deaths. Thus, plantation initiatives like Fale Fule Mukti are always welcoming in India to raise awareness in common people and one of the ways to curb air pollution. Apart from the health threats from air pollution, Raidighi being situated in the Sunderban delta area, also get exposed to considerable soil erosion due to annual floods, salinity, river erosion, heavy rain, cyclone and rising sea-water levels. Increasing vegetation in Sunderban is the only means to slow or prevent the rapid soil erosion that is already threatening to submerge many low-lying delta areas.

In the history of Raidighi, Fale Fule Mukti is the first ever plantation drive that makes the local people of the village responsible to look after the planted saplings by designating the trees to every individuals. The plantation ceremony witnessed participation of many enthusiastic students from 20 local schools in the area, to name a few- Damkal SN Primary, Jogendrapur High School, Babujan Sepai High School, Nagendrapur Hemanta Kumari High School and others. Total of 20,000 saplings of different selections such as Jackfruit, Falsa, Dragon Eye, Palash, Coconut, Alovera etc. were planted across the place under this drive.

Mr. Halder said, “People should take more individual initiatives and responsibilities to plant trees, not only under the scope of such plantation drive but also in their own lands to meet challenges of the climate change and air pollution in the area”. MUKTI president further urged to the local people and MUKTI members to extend their support in making Fale Fule Mukti a grand success and continue plantation throughout the year in other areas around Raidigi.  Mr. Chanchal Purkayastha, MUKTI’s “Go-Green” project co-ordinator quoted “As responsible citizens, we all have a duty towards mother nature. It is commendable to mark that MUKTI has not just setting a benchmark in nurturing the students by providing technical education but has taken enormous steps towards social services.” The plantation ceremony was followed by cultural program and patriotic songs organized by the students of Hemanta Kumari High School to also celebrate India’s 70th Independence Day.