In a unique initiative to protect the environment, girls of Ambedkar Regent Oxford School, Ranchi tied ‘rakhi’ to 51 trees and resolved to protect them. The programme was organised by the social organisation Bal Vikas Manch on Wednesday at the premises of the on- going construction site of Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha building in Dhurwa.
The girls tied rakhis to the trees and vowed to protect them. They will again tie a rakhi on the occasion of Raksha bandhan and Bhai dooj. Students of class six and seven actively participated in the programme with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm.
“The students tied rakhi to 51 trees and adopted them. They also resolved to protect the trees from being cut. This particular location was selected to prevent these trees from being cut at the construction site of the new Vidhan Sabha building. The students will also create awareness in the nearby villages and urge the villagers to protect the existing trees and also plant new ones,” said Bal Vikas Manch President, Ashutosh Dwivedi.
Noted environmentalist Kaushal Kishore Jaisawal, who had started the campaign Paryawaran Dharma and Ban Rakhi Movement, appreciated this initiative. “This is a very good initiative and with young girls tying rakhi to trees, it will help in creating awareness. Ban Rakhi Movement has completed 43 years in 2019 and such programmes are organised every year on rakhi at various places in Jharkhand.
Bal Vikas Manch has been organising this programme for the past seven years. “This initiative is inspired by the ‘chipko movement’ and was first started in Kanke Road locality. In the seven years that this movement has been active, a lot of positive effect and awareness is seen among the residents of Ranchi. A lot of NGO’s are also involved in planting trees. People have also started planting trees in the names of their ancestors,” Dwivedi further added.
School Director Sangeeta Kumari said, “Our motive is to make children aware about the environment. Programmes of this kind will teach children about how they can do their bit towards the environment. Trees play a vital role in our lives and it is our moral duty to protect them. The school girls will tie a rakhi to the trees every year. They have also vowed to plant and nurture trees and also not let anyone cut them.”