Assam set to script Guinness World Record by making longest line of potted seedlings

GUWAHATI: Assam is set to script a Guinness World Record by making the longest line of potted seedlings arranged in a spiral pattern in a 22-km line with 3.5 lakh saplings at the Veterinary Field, Khanapara, Guwahati.

Adjudicator of Guinness World Records Prabin Patel said that there are strict guidelines that must be followed to achieve a world record, and he congratulated the Environment and Forest Department, Government of Assam, for taking up such a mammoth exercise. According to sources, the Guinness Book of World Records will declare all the nine records on September 17, 2023.

Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today formally launched the series of activities as part of the Amrit Briksha Andolan campaign with the objective of scripting three new world records and breaking six existing world records.

The seedlings will be distributed to the public on September 10 for the next set of events. Amrit Briksha Andolan is striving to plant one crore commercially viable tree saplings in a single day and make a world record. But apart from that, there are other initiatives that are taken to break several additional world records. The objective of the campaign is to promote a tree-based economy in Assam and enable people to derive economic benefits from growing commercial trees.

Speaking at the programme, Forest Minister Patowary said that the Assam Government is striving towards increasing forest cover in the state from 36 percent to 38 percent. This campaign is envisaged by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to enable people to take ownership of these commercial trees and derive benefits, he said.

"Next year, we are targeting to plant 3 crore saplings. Efforts will be made to produce those tree saplings in our government nurseries under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) next year and not import them from outside. As many saplings planted each year die due to various reasons, we will try to grow all these trees successfully this time and ensure a high success rate," the minister said.

Informing that 49 lakh people have already registered themselves on the portal for planting one crore saplings, Patowary congratulated forest officials for this campaign. He also elaborated on nine world records targeted through the Amrit Briksha Andolan campaign, and he expressed confidence that all records would be achieved.

He also said Srimanta Sankardev highlighted the importance of trees for human society through his quote "eka briksha dasha putra sama" (one tree is equal to 10 sons), and he stressed the need to nurture trees for reducing the negative effects of global warming and climate change. He thanked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for envisioning this campaign, which will help increase the forest cover in Assam.

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