Under the global theme “Now for Climate – Inspired by Nature for Climate, For Our Future,” community leaders, local journalists and government officials gathered at Phungyo Baptist Church (PBC) on Friday for an awareness programme and a mass tree-planting drive to mark World Environment Day (WED) 2026.
Jointly organised by the Ukhrul District Working Journalists’ Association (UDWJA) and Phungyo Baptist Church—widely regarded as Manipur’s oldest and the “Mother Church”—the event was held under the aegis of the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change (DoECC), Government of Manipur, with additional support from the Ukhrul district administration and the Ukhrul Divisional Forest Office (DFO). Church elders, government representatives, members of the press and local congregants attended the programme at the PBC Quasquicentennial Hall.
Call for sustained action
Addressing the gathering, Ukhrul ADC/ADM Polly Makan described environmental protection as the “need of the hour,” praising the organisers for turning a global concern into local action. She recalled how Ukhrul’s climate has changed drastically since the 1990s, when she was first posted in the district as an SDC.
“In those days the air was clean, temperatures were cooler and people used charcoal hearths throughout the year. Now things have changed drastically: temperatures have risen sharply and insects such as mosquitoes are far more common,” she said.
She expressed concern over rampant deforestation and called for minimizing tree-felling and the judicious use of firewood, especially in villages where traditional logging for cooking and heating remains prevalent.
Polly also said that during her visit to Switzerland, she found the natural surroundings well maintained and beautiful. She related that people there told her they do not cut trees if they cannot replant them, and she urged the gathering to safeguard trees in the district.
She called for collective efforts by all stakeholders to adopt practical measures for afforestation, improved waste management and protection of water sources, and stressed the need for sustained follow-up to ensure saplings survive and new practices become long-term habits. “For all this, people need awareness,” she noted.
Ukhrul SDO Dingringngam Kamei appealed to participants to assume personal and collective responsibility for the environment, quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “Nature has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.” He singled out poppy cultivation as particularly destructive, calling it the “wrong plants to plant,” and appealed to farmers to replace such crops with native, beneficial tree species.
Kamei also urged churches to integrate environmental stewardship into sermons and youth programmes to foster long-term behavioural change.
Faith leaders frame stewardship
Church elder Ameison Shaiza called World Environment Day one of the most important modern observances and argued that environmental stewardship deserves public and political attention on par with governance.
PBC Associate Pastor Seth Ragui framed protection of nature as a divine responsibility and urged the congregation to act collectively. “The environmental and climate crises can no longer be ignored—their impacts are already affecting our daily lives,” he warned.
Well-being linked to environment
Ukhrul CMO Dr A.S. Kapangring lauded PBC and UDWJA for their conservation efforts, linking public health to environmental quality. He noted that clean water, fresh air and organic food depend on a functioning ecosystem and are essential for a healthy society.
Community pledges “Act Now for Climate”
A key moment was the “Act Now for Climate” pledge led by PBC Board of Trustees chairman Hopkinson Chiphang, reaffirming commitments to forest protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable local practices.
The pledge:
“Aja World Environment Day khamayon hi eina ngasoda Varena āyuk unglāk eina sāmi kahaiya Timlon mazakshi khavai kashap eina tangda sara. Thingnā rahā, shiri-shirā mashimān khavai makhunmeida sāra. Kateowa Iwui otmangānao hi einala rārāda khalei khawon-kashon okthot mathamei khavai ngasāranu.” (“With the observation of World Environment Day today, I hereby pledge to make the God-gifted environment better. That I will work with more enthusiasm to safeguard the flora & fauna and the environment. May this small efforts of mine make the future generation better.”)
UDWJA president R. Lester Makang thanked the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change, the district administration and the DFO, and highlighted the State Level Media Fellowship on Climate Change Reporting launched by the Directorate in 2019, as well as the joint initiative with UDWJA since 2024, which supports local climate reporting.
After the awareness programme, volunteers and officials conducted a mass planting drive along the PBC cemetery approach road, at Tangrei Cemetery, and on the Mission Ground at Alungtang in the township.
According to PBC Board of Trustees chairman Hopkinson, about 200 saplings were planted during the drive, and the church aims to increase that number to roughly 500 during the current planting season. He appealed for continued community participation and care to ensure the saplings survive and mature, calling the effort a tangible step toward a greener, more climate-resilient Ukhrul.
DoECC’s initiative strengthens local coverage
The Directorate of Environment & Climate Change (DoECC) has supported climate and environment reporting in Ukhrul through a media fellowship since 2019. In 2024, the Directorate began a joint initiative with UDWJA, enabling local journalists to spotlight environmental and climate issues in Ukhrul district. It has also supported UDWJA to conduct field surveys and organise environment-related observances such as World Environment Day, to draw attention to climate action at the grassroots level.