GUWAHATI: The Manipur government has appointed a nine-year-old girl as the State’s green ambassador.
It is to be mentioned that earlier this week, a video of her crying for two trees axed for a road-widening project went viral.
The girl identified as Elangbam Valentina Devi, a class V student of Amutombi Divine Life English School in Kakching town, about 45 km southeast of Manipur’s capital Imphal.
In an order, from H. Balkrisna Singh, Manipur’s Director of Information and Public Relations states that Elangbam Valentina Devi of Hiyanglam Makha Leikai in Kakching district had been made the brand ambassador for the Chief Minister’s Green Manipur Mission and all official tree-plantation activities taken up in the State.
{{skXUtgTZ7LNnuzKGxsBb}}
According to reports, Valentina Devi had planted the saplings of two Gulmohar (royal poinciana) trees by the side of a river when she was in Class I. She had been tending to the saplings, which grew up into healthy trees in about four years. However, the two trees, along with other vegetation, were axed for a project to widen a road beside the river.
Speaking to The Hindu, Manipur’s Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren said, "I saw the video of this girl crying like anything, as if someone very near to her had passed away. Her feeling for two felled trees, which we adults would probably not think much about, moved me. I asked Yengkhom Victoria, the district’s Superintendent of Police to meet her, console her and give her at least 20 saplings to plant at a suitable place."
The order also states that Valentina, the daughter of Elangbam Premkumar Singh, will be part of all such advertisements and campaigns that promote an increase in Manipur’s green cover. “She will be provided honorarium at government rates, transportation facilities, food and lodging facilities at admissible rates by the sponsoring government department.”
(Inputs Hindu)
