MEGHALAYA CM'S OFFICE GOES GREEN

ST Photo

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s office has gone green with his chamber being made plastic free and all his stationary and letter heads coming from recycled paper.

Sangma a self proclaimed environmentalist earlier today walked six km from his residence at 3^rd Mile Upper Shillong to the State central Library to celebrate the World Environment Day.

“We have to focus on three Rs: Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. I have reduced my carbon footprint by saving at least three litre of petrol by walking today and we are also recycling paper,” he told the gathering which comprised of officials and school students.

He informed that in the past few months he have asked officials to make his chamber plastic free and it was done and now the next target is to get the Secretariat plastic free.

Under the plan all Government offices would be made plastic free, which Sangma said, would encourage others to follow. “We need to set example not just paste posters on such occasion like world environment day,” he said.

Moreover, he informed that all his stationary and letter head from today would come from recycled paper. The paper that goes to waste from the secretariat is being recycled for this purpose.  “I have also asked officials to power my office chamber from renewable energy be it solar or wind. This would be done in the next three months,” Sangma said.

The CM said that the whole of the Secretariat and Government offices and Government schools and colleges in the State would be powered with renewable energy like solar and wind in the near future.

“The Government offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so the power that is generated could be sent back to the grid, which would help maybe light up a village for a day or two,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Government launched the “adopt one tree” programme in which each citizen would be encouraged to adopt a tree and nurture it. “We need to identify the tree that we have nurtured to full growth and the source from where we get our oxygen,” Sangma said.

Under the scheme, 17 lakh saplings would be distributed to people in the State through various departments. Moreover, the State Government has also decided to include in schools syllabus, Environment studies, so that children are drawn to environment protection and mitigation plans from a tender age.