IMPHAL, June 26: The Child Welfare Committee, in collaboration with the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Kakching, launched the “One Child One Plant” campaign along with a Children’s Meet at Kakching Garden in Manipur on Wednesday.
The event was graced by Keisham Pradipkumar, Chairperson of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights, as chief guest, and Rohit Anand (IAS), Deputy Commissioner of Kakching, as president. Naorem Kumari, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Kakching, and Gajoo Rajkumari, District Child Protection Officer, attended as guests of honour.
Addressing the gathering, Rohit Anand highlighted that Manipur has witnessed a rise in floods and extreme weather events in the past two years, largely due to the loss of green cover. He stressed the importance of collective environmental responsibility and the role of children in environmental conservation.
“Even planting a single tree may seem small, but it creates a big impact,” the officer said, encouraging each child to nurture their plant for a year and continue visiting it even after they graduate from Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
He also announced upcoming support and training programmes for CCIs, beginning with special training sessions on traditional Thongjao pottery, to be conducted across all CCIs under the DCPU.
As part of the programme, certificates were awarded to winners of a painting competition held on World Environment Day (June 5), based on the theme “Ending Plastic Pollution.” The competition involved participants from various children’s homes in the district.
In addition, students from children’s homes who recently cleared the Class X examinations were felicitated with gifts and certificates to honour their academic achievements. (NNN)