Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with state Environment Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, other cabinet ministers and legislators tied hundreds of amulets on trees.

Patna, 2 August: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined girl students in tying amulets on trees on the occasion of Rakshabandhan.

The minister invited members of Tarumitra (friends of trees) to the newly constructed eco-park in Patna to celebrate the festival on Thursday.

Tarumitra, a Jesuit-initiated non-government organization (NGO) that works to protect environment, has been celebrating the festival in a unique way for the past 18 years. Its members include teachers and students of educational institution in various states of India.

Kumar along with state Environment Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, other cabinet ministers and legislators tied hundreds of amulets on trees.

“Tying rakhees on trees is not a rubric, but a promise to look after the planet in its critical times of survival,” said Neha Bharati, a student of A.N College in Patna, Bihar capital.

The chief minister also distributed 1,500 saplings of Patli (Sterespermum cheleonoides), a rare tree.

A day earlier, Tarumitra students gathered around the large Kamroop (Ficus retusa) tree to celebrate the festival.

They brought hundreds of colorful handmade amulets that they tied on the trees at the bio-reserve in Tarumitra campus after traditional prayer and festival songs.

Prior to the celebration, the participants watched a student’s presentation on her campaign to save electricity.

“Immediately after the country faced power crisis due to the breaking down of three grids, the campaign to save electricity made real sense,” said Sakshee, a ninth grader.

Ghatta Ambedkar of A.N College warned that the state needs 80 percent more power in the next decade and there there is no easy solution to fill up the deficit other than stopping the wastage and using less power for daily consumption.

Courtesy: By Margaret Molomoo, UCAN News