UKHRUL: The Ukhrul Forest Division has been honoured with the state award for the “Maximum Number of Saplings Plantation – Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (EPMKN) 3.0” during the State-Level Green Finale of the 77th Van Mahotsav Celebration 2026, held at the City Convention Centre in Imphal on Saturday.
The award was presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Losii Dikho in recognition of the division’s achievement of planting 4,31,493 saplings between June 5 and July 14 under the nationwide Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0 campaign.
According to the Forest Division, the achievement was made possible through the collective efforts of the district administration, government officials, village authorities, NGOs, civil society organisations, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, educational institutions, churches, security forces, orphanages, youth organisations and self-help groups.
A significant contribution came from the Water Resource Conservation Groups (WRCGs) of 23 villages under the Community-Based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resource Conservation in Manipur (COSFOM) project. Plantation activities focused on springshed restoration, watershed management, biodiversity conservation and community forest protection.
The EPMKN 3.0 campaign was launched on June 5 to coincide with World Environment Day, with plantation drives carried out across Ukhrul district through extensive community participation. Besides the plantation campaign, the division also distributed thousands of free quality seedlings from its nurseries to encourage wider public participation in greening initiatives.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ukhrul, Laishram Gitla, IFS, thanked all stakeholders for their support, stating that the award reflected the dedication and collective effort of the people of Ukhrul.
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“The award we have received is a direct testament to the hard work, dedication and unwavering collective effort of the people of Ukhrul. This success truly belongs to them,” she said.
Gitla urged residents to protect and nurture every sapling planted during the campaign to ensure their survival. She also appealed to communities to replace any saplings that do not survive during the next planting season, assuring that the Forest Division would provide replacement seedlings from its nurseries.
The recognition is expected to encourage greater public participation in future afforestation and environmental conservation initiatives, further strengthening Ukhrul’s reputation for community-led forest conservation in Manipur.
