Gyalshing, June 6:Sanchaman Limboo Government College (SMLGC) Aarigaon, Gyalshing celebrated World Environment Day 2025 with a comprehensive academic programmes centered on biodiversity conservation and pressing issue of plastic pollution in the Himalayas. This event was particularly noteworthy as it also coincided with the college's commemoration of 50 years of statehood. To underscore this dual celebration, the college organised a mass plantation initiative in the first half of the day under the theme "One Student, One Sapling," aimed at encouraging individual contributions toward a "Green and Clean Sikkim."
During the plantation drive, faculty and students collaborated to plant a total of 1,893 saplings in designated areas representing their respective departments. Each participant brought their own saplings, ensuring that each one was unique and accompanied by a nameplate tag to signify the contributors' commitment to the environment.
The latter half of the day was dedicated to an academic program in collaboration with Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) based in Kolkata, focusing on the "Threatened Mammals of the Indian Himalayas" under National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) project. Esteemed resource persons, including Dr. Kalzang Targe, Mr. Adesh Rai, and Mr. Piklu Das, shared valuable insights on Himalayan biodiversity, recounted their fieldwork experiences, and highlighted the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on wildlife.
This programme successfully harmonized research, tradition, and environmental commitment as it joined the global effort to "Beat Plastic Pollution." By focusing on these critical issues, SMLGC not only celebrated the environment but also fostered a deeper understanding of the ecological challenges facing the Himalayas among its students and staff.