Shyari MLA promotes green initiatives, rewards meritorious students during HZP Excursion

GANGTOK, : Shyari MLA Tenzing Lamtha organized a daylong excursion for primary-level students of various government schools under his constituency to Himalayan Zoological Park (HZP), Bulbuley near Gangtok on Saturday.

About 300 primary students, accompanied by their teachers, spent the day seeing and learning about the different exotic animals and birds housed at various enclosures of HZP. The zoo authorities were briefed on the importance of wildlife and different types of wildlife found in Sikkim by the zoo authorities.

Lamtha, also the Forest advisor, had arranged this exposure visit as promised to the students during his past engagements at various government schools of Shyari constituency.

The HZP trip served two purposes – to make the school kids aware about the HZP and the green initiatives taken by the State government.

“We have a wonderful zoological park very close to Gangtok. It is spread over 230 hectares and houses many important wildlife species. Many our children have not visited this park and so I wanted them to come here and learn about our park, the wildlife species kept here, and their importance. Most of the kids here are coming to this park for the first time and I believe that they gained valuable knowledge about our zoological park and its animals. They have seen these animals in books but now they have seen them live and got valuable knowledge from the HZP director and officials,” said the Shyari MLA.

A plantation drive under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ was also undertaken by the Shyari MLA and the meritorious students of Shyari constituency at the zoological park complex.

“There are unique flagship green programmes like ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, and ‘Mero Rukh Mero Santati’, and wildlife conservation initiatives like ‘My Child From Wild’. Our students should know about these initiatives in a practical manner, right here with nature and that is why we organised this plantation drive,” said Lamtha. He thanked the Forest department, HZP officials, and the Education department for their support.

Another highlight of the day was honouring and cash rewarding the CBSE class X and XII toppers of Shyari constituency in presence of the students by the area MLA. The two meritorious students were Ankita Diyali (Class XII) and Choden Ongmu Tamang (Class X), both from Modern Senior Secondary School, Tathangchen.

Lamtha had promised cash rewards for the CBSE toppers from Shyari constituency earlier when they were preparing for the board exams.

We wanted to show our achievers to the primary-students so that they are also motivated and put more efforts into their studies, said the Shyari MLA.

The two students expressed their gratitude to Lamtha for the honour and encouragement.

To further boost them and also to promote the State government’s wildlife initiative, the MLA sponsored the adoption of two HZP animals by the two CBSE toppers under the ‘My Child From Wild’. The adoption is for a certain period, depending on the amount donated to the HZP under this programme.

Lamtha also adopted the Himalayan Tahr of the zoological park, and urged the people to come forward and adopt the HZP animals under the ‘My Child From Wild’ initiative.  The amounts paid under the adoption programme are used to support the maintenance and upkeep of the HZP animals.