Protect-Umananda drive carried out by Voice of Environment members and Royal Global University on World Earth Day

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Voice of Environment (VoE) members and Royal Global University (RGU) students campaigned for saving Umananda Islam and its ecology on Sunday.

On the occasion of World Earth Day, 2019, the VoE, in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Science, RGU, Guwahati, organized a campaign as “Protect Umananda Island and its Ecology.” As the theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘protecting species and biodiversity’ the protect-Umananda drive was conducted in sync with the occasion. The initiative was led by Kanhaiya Poddar and Dr. Ritusmita Goswami and other members. The team gathered at Uzanbazar Ferry Ghat at 10 AM on Sunday and started the campaign by interacting with devotees and visitors regarding plastic pollution with reference to the significance for biodiversity conservation of the world famous Umananda island in the mighty Brahmaputra. It is also a heritage site of Assam. The team then reached the island and started the cleanliness drive, especially by collecting plastic waste around the island and disposed it to a place marked by the temple authority.

The team then started a drive to plant fruit plants by keeping in mind the food habit of Golden Langoor. The drive was led by Moharana Choudhury (Environmentalist) and Muskaan Poddar. This island is also famous for endangered species as Golden Langur which needs to be protected. This biodiversity hotspot as well as iconic landmark is under threat mostly due to anthropogenic activities. Visitors and tourists carry plastic bags/bottles and other plastic materials and discard them scattered, posing a potential threat to the island ecosystem and biodiversity. Also, plastic waste draining into the Brahmaputra is creating vulnerability to river Dolphins in particular and other species. Keeping this in mind, an initiative is planned on Umananda for generating awareness to make it a plastic-free premise.

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