Green Initiative in Assam: SESTA and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary Launch Massive Plantation Drive

The Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SESTA) and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary have initiated a plantation drive in Assam's Mayong region to combat climate change and provide economic benefits to local farmers. Over 30 individuals participated in an awareness event, emphasizing the initiative's goals and offering technical planting support.

The Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SESTA), in partnership with Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam's Morigaon district, organized a significant awareness program on Monday. This initiative aims to kickstart a large-scale plantation drive in the Mayong area, targeting climate change mitigation and offering economic perks to local farmers, Eco Development Committee members, and interested agronomists. The collaborative effort involves a meticulous survey and planting of 53 bighas of communal and private lands with native and hybrid high-yield plant species, including fruits, sericulture, and timber varieties like Mahogany, Mango, Red Sander, Guava, Som, and Keseru.

On the day of the awareness event, more than 30 farmers and social activists attended the meeting at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. They received detailed insights into the project's objectives and its direct benefits. A practical demonstration on the scientific planting of trees was presented, encouraging organic cultivation practices. Beneficiaries of the initiative are expected to receive an array of valuable plant seedlings, appropriate organic manure, bio-fungicides, tree guards, and necessary technical guidance from SESTA, a key figure explained. The forest department has pledged assistance in crop registration and ongoing technical support.

Key attendees of the meeting included Pranjal Baruah, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary Range Officer, Najrul Islam, a journalist, and SESTA team members Deepa Koch and Akaingshya Das, along with other forest department officials. In a previous move by the Assam Forest department, a compensation sum of Rs 2.17 lakh was disbursed to 29 farmers near the sanctuary for crop damage inflicted by wildlife. Pranjal Baruah detailed that farmers applied for the compensation to the Range Forest Officer in Pobitora due to crop disruptions caused by animals such as Rhinos and Buffaloes. Each affected farmer received Rs 7500 in damages, mainly due to buffalo incursion in the Satibheti and Rajamayong areas. Baruah noted the effective measures by Pobitora's dedicated team, which include returning stray animals to their habitats with help from departmental elephants and 13 newly formed Anti Depredation Squads in nearby communities.

(With inputs from agencies.)