Local youths in Nawalparasi district have taken up the conservation initiative in their own small manner. The Green Youth Nepal, a youth network formed by them, has already been able to enlist 500 youths as its members, actively campaigning against the rampant deforestation in the district and spreading awareness on bio-diversity conservation as well as the environment.
During a leadership training programme conducted in the district on Sunday, Ram Kumar Chaudhary of Dhodari, who is the district chairperson of the network, said they will be giving a fresh momentum to their recruitment programme to bring in more youths into the network. As part of the programme, the youth network had planted various plants and trees in around 300 houses in Dhodari, Suryapatuwa, Thakurdwara, Bagnaha, and Newalapur VDCs during Tihar.
“We played duesi-bhailo and appealed to all to conserve and protect the environment by planting more plants and trees,” said Chaudhary. And with a sense of achievement, he further said that some of the locals, impressed by them, had donated as much as Rs 1,000 to their cause.
Chaudhary said that they spend the most time going around appealing to people to work towards the protection and conservation of nature not only for their own well-being but for future generations too.
Like Chaudhary, Arjun Kurmi, a student of economics from Lumbini, Rupandehi said that he has been a member of the network for almost five years now, adding that the group had celebrated “aforestation week” from July 17-23 by planting trees in the district.
A winner of this year’s Youth Conservation Prize, Kurmi said that the main aim of his group is to create awareness among people to work towards the conservation of nature and bio-diversity.
Meanwhile, Tarai Area Landscape (TAL), Dhangadhi chapter has been assisting the network in carrying out various conservation activities in the district.
“These are the youths who will be running our nation 10-15 years from now. Since they are aware about the need to preserve the natural environment, they will surely usher in a positive change,” said Tilak Dhakal of TAL.
Rabi Ranamagar, district chairperson of the network in Rautahat said that they have been going to various colleges in the district to spread awareness on bio-diversity conservation and environment. “We also intend to engage more youths in conservation activities through social networking sites,” he said, adding that they intended to increase their members in Facebook to 300,000.
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