It is necessary to conserve forests close to the rural areas whereas urban people have to green their environs as a national duty, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The Senior General delivered a speech at the fourth monsoon tree-growing ceremony 2023 of the families of the office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army, Navy and Air) near Yezin Dam in Zeyathiri Township of Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
He continued that extracting the necessary volume of timbers for the development of the nation and growing trees will improve the socioeconomic life of the people in harmony with the conservation of the natural environment and ecosystem.
The Senior General underscored that extreme extraction of timber can cause climate change. It can be seen that Nay Pyi Taw faced 26.97°C average temperature in 2006, compared with 28.50°C at present. As such, Tatmadaw grows trees as public movements across the nation, he added.
The Senior General noted that it can be observed that colonialists unlimitedly extracted timbers from valuable forests of Myanmar. Now, forest coverage in the country has declined to 42 per cent because of the extraction of timbers to bolster finance of the State in successive eras.
The Senior General gave guidance to all to nurture the plants for thriving in all seasons as a compulsory measure. The Senior General continued to say that Myanmar is endowed with western and eastern mountain ranges, middle mountain ranges as well as Shan plateau in addition to the Chindwin, Ayeyawady and Sittoung rivers. As these mountain ranges are covered with forests, systematic utilization of forests can benefit the country, he added.
The Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) has grown 190,473 trees from 2011 to the third tree-growing ceremony in 2023, 109,885 of which are thriving today, accounting for 55 per cent. As such, the Senior General instructed officials to nurture the plants for thriving. The fourth tree-growing ceremony needed to cultivate 3,528 trees including teak, Manjansha and gum-kino plants to have successfully thrived.
The Senior General and his wife grew a teak tree and then viewed round the cultivation of trees by Tatmadaw members and families in set pieces.
The ceremony was also attended by SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win and his wife.
At the fourth ceremony, they cultivated 1,764 teak, 882 Manjansha and 882 gum-kino plants, totalling 3,528. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army, Navy and Air) has held 39 tree-growing ceremonies from 2011 to date, growing 194,001 trees and windbreaks.
Likewise, similar ceremonies took place at relevant military commands by growing 175,674 industrial crops, perennial plants, shade and windbreaks. — MNA/TTA
