It is with profound concern that we stand today to celebrate the World Environment Day 2020. The concern this time is more about mankind rather than environment. As the world is amidst the greatest crises humanity has ever faced since the Spanish flu, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed lives unprecedented by any epidemic seen so far. Hence we stand united against the pandemic with the country and the entire world. We deeply sympathize with all the people who have lost their loved ones to this virus and also salute all the frontline workers who have relentlessly offered their services for the healing and containing of this outbreak day and night.
Therefore, this year’s message on the day of celebrating environment and biodiversity could not contain the mirth but observance of solidarity. However, we look forward to harmonious existence in the future with environment for our strength lies in its management. Sikkim has been a beacon of hope even in such an hour when it could prevent the entry of this silent killer for the longest possible time. We are blessed with nature’s bounty, and a wealth of natural splendour that we have come to respect. Our culture imbibes the ethos of conservation inherently in our practices. Hence this world environment day, I call upon my fellow Sikkimese to learn and revive the old ways of life that aligned so harmoniously with nature and brought forth a beautiful and healthy co-existence between man and environment.
Sikkim is bestowed with majestic mountains, beautiful hills and valleys, crystal clear water falls, springs and lakes, rivers and streams, steep and undulating terrains, snow clad mountains, low lying land ranging from altitude of 310 m (Jorethang) to 8586 m (Mt. Khangchendzonga) above mean sea level (MSL). Sikkim is blessed with varied flora and fauna falling within the Eastern Himalayas, which is one of the mega-biodiversity hotspots. The State is a repository of endemic flora, rare and endangered species of animals, high value medicinal plants etc. Sikkim is a botanist’s paradise. There are mainly five forest types in Sikkim namely Sub-Tropical, Moist Mixed Deciduous, Wet Temperate, Conifer and Sub-Alpine forest.
Within an area of 7096 sq. Km, the State has a healthy 30.77% of landmass under Protected Area Network, comprising of seven Wildlife Sanctuaries and one National Park, which is highest in the country. Khangchendzonga National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site declared in July 2016.
The State has a recorded assemblage of more than 4000 species of flowering plants. Among these most prominent are more than 500 species of orchids and 40 species of rhododendrons. More than 1100 types of plants found in Sikkim are known to have some medicinal value or the other. We also have rich faunal biodiversity with more than 570 species of birds, which forms a substantial proportion of almost half of those found in India and 650 types of butterflies and moths.
With such a wealth of biodiversity it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Sikkim resonates perfectly with this year’s theme of World Environment Day that is ‘Celebrating Biodiversity’. We as the citizens of this beautiful Himalayan State, let us come together and supplement the effort of the government towards conservation of our rich environment and biodiversity and be part of various programmes meant to achieve this goal.
A Happy World Environment Day to all my fellow Sikkimese