Umarkote,6th Sept 2025: “Trees that sustain life should never be cut down. If I see anyone doing so, I will not tolerate it—regardless of whether they are my relatives or powerful members of my own political party. I will oppose them,” said Umarkote MLA and Odisha School & Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond while attending an environmental panchayat program organized by Sambad at the SS International Auditorium in Umarkote.
The minister stressed that protecting the environment is one of the greatest challenges today. He emphasized the need to honor those who work to conserve forests, and said that the younger generation must take responsibility for building a sustainable future. He announced that on September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 75 lakh trees would be planted across Odisha, including 16,000 trees in the Umarkote range. Every school student will be given a sapling to plant and care for.
He also raised concerns over how deforestation for maize farming is degrading soil fertility, and how Eucalyptus (Neelagiri) cultivation in barren lands is depleting groundwater. He called for an end to such practices.
Further, he emphasized the need to make young students aware of environmental protection, cleanliness, tree plantation, and plastic (polythene) ban. He proposed that schools be transformed into Green Education Campuses where students learn to care for nature, helping realize the dream of rebuilding a greener planet.
Main speaker Prof. Prafulla Kumar Raut, an educationist, said that industrial development must go hand in hand with environmental balance, and large-scale afforestation should be prioritized. He noted that planting trees brings more spiritual merit than temple rituals.
Divisional Forest Officer of Umarkote, Debasmita Sahu, said that efforts are underway to develop eco-tourism spots in Saraguli for environmental awareness and conservation.
The program was coordinated by Sambad’s Nabarangpur district correspondent, Suresh Kumar Naidu. Nature activist Naresh Chandra Pattnaik gave the welcome address, and Kanak News’ Nabarangpur correspondent Nalini Ranjan Mishra delivered the vote of thanks.
Notable environmental enthusiasts present included:
Srinibas Pattnaik, Kailash Chandra Behera, Ganesh Prasad Rana, Shantilata Mohanty, Tapan Kumar Debnath, Santosh Sarkar, Nagendra Kumar Raut, Sheikh Nasiruddin, Vivekananda Pattnaik, Gopal Krishna Pattnaik, Sanyukta Pattnaik, Gurubari Kalar, Geetanjali Sahu, Jhunu Panigrahi, Santoshi Dalei, Namita Jena and many others.
Ramesh Pattnaik, Jitu Mali, and Nilu Panda assisted in organizing and conducting the event.