Sikkim Gearing-Up To Celebrate "A Day For Mother Earth" On July 7; Initiative To Mitigate Effects Of Climate Change

Sikkim Gearing-Up To Celebrate “A Day For Mother Earth” On July 7; Initiative To Mitigate Effects Of Climate Change

30th June 2022

Sujal Pradhan, NET Correspondent, Sikkim

Sikkim is gearing-up to observe “A Day for Mother Earth” on July 7, 2022; during which vehicular movement across the northeastern state will be halted for 7 minutes from at 11 AM.

An initiative commenced by the Sikkim Chief Minister – Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), this event was first celebrated in the year 2019, at South Sikkim’s Kyichudumura.

It aims to unify the people of Sikkim towards raising awareness on protection and conservation of environment.

In addition, as a symbolic pledge towards the state’s commitment to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to reduce the carbon footprint, all vehicular movement in Sikkim is stopped for 7 minuets at 11 AM.

This will also contribute towards the Nationally Determined Contribution and Sustainable Development Goals for positive climate action.

Meanwhile, this day also coincides with the closing event of the nation wide ‘Van-Mahotsav’ week, commemorated from July 1-7th July.

The districts have been instructed to celebrate the program by involving the respective area MLAs, Advisors, Chairman, Panchayat, Officers of the districts, NGOs, Industries, Army, Para-military, press and media.

Each district must generate mass awareness of the program and seek the voluntary participation of every household in their district.

All districts must submit a plan of celebration with tentative target for plantation and cleanliness drive. Following the event, the concerned officers must submit the details of the trees/shrubs planted and any such other activities undertaken in their jurisdiction for onward submission to the CMO. Similarly all the Municipal bodies must undertake activities in their own municipalities.

The Minister of State (MoS) for the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change – Ashwini Kumar Choubey during his visit to Sikkim for the celebration of the ‘International Yoga Day’, on June 21 appreciated this strategy and the objective behind the celebration of “day for Mother Earth”.

During his interaction with Departmental officials, he was delighted to learn about the halt of vehicular movement across the state for 7 minutes.

He categorically congratulated the state government for the concerned endeavour, and remarked that this program should be replicated all across the nation.