HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 3: The two-day Jorhat Flower Festival and Fair began on Friday at Jaya Bhawan, Jorhat, organised by the Jorhat Flower Society. The event was inaugurated by “Forest Man” Padma Shri Dr Jadav Payeng, who lit a ceremonial lamp before the portrait of singer Zubeen Garg.
During the inauguration, Dr Payeng stressed that merely planting saplings is not enough, they must be nurtured properly. He noted that students are being taught about tree plantation and for the past 30–40 years, he has personally planted thousands of saplings while spreading awareness about the importance of forests and tree conservation across the region.
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Dr Payeng highlighted the consequences of deforestation caused by industrial development, which has led to increased conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants and monkeys. He said that over a hundred new sandbars (chaporis) have emerged along the Brahmaputra and need to be greened. He emphasised that responsibility lies with the government, the Forest Department and the people of Assam to reduce human-animal conflicts through proper afforestation efforts.
Speaking to journalists, Dr Payeng also condemned the recent fire set by miscreants at “Mulai Forest 2.0,” calling the act reprehensible and assuring that the culprits would be identified after investigation. He encouraged the youth involved in restoring the forest, expressing hope that they would succeed in creating a conducive environment for new saplings.
The event saw participation from prominent personalities including Dr Jyotirekha Hazarika, Secretary of the central office of Asam Sahitya Sabha, Swapan Bezbaruah, scientist Bikash Hazarika and Mridusmita Baruah Borborah. Organising committee member Haren Gogoi said that around twenty stalls are participating in the special exhibition over the two-day fair.
The festival combines flower competitions, exhibitions and awareness activities aimed at promoting environmental stewardship and community engagement in Jorhat.
