Rudraprayag administration launches ‘Donate a Book, Plant a Tree of Knowledge’ campaign

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], July 28 (ANI): The Rudraprayag district administration has launched a unique campaign titled 'Donate a Book, Plant a Tree of Knowledge' as part of the Harela festival celebrations. The initiative aims to enrich the district's public library while promoting a culture of reading among citizens.
The administration has sought to redefine Harela not just as a festival of tree plantation, but also as a celebration of knowledge and values. Under the campaign, the district has set a target of collecting 1,000 books to strengthen the public library's collection.
District officials are actively contributing to the initiative. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also announced that he will donate 50 books to the district.
According to the administration, the campaign is expected to cultivate reading habits, enhance knowledge, and improve mental well-being among people. The district administration has appealed to residents to donate books in large numbers and make the initiative a success.
Speaking with ANI, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said the campaign has received encouraging support from both officials and residents, with book donation camps being organised across the district.
"An initiative has been started in Rudraprayag in which people of the district are giving good support, and book donation camps are being organized. If you have any such book that can be useful to someone--whether it is for a competitive exam or non-competitive--if you give it to us, we give it a place in the public library, and we will also mention your name in it. So far, we have received around 200 books," Gaharwar said.
"This will benefit the children here who are studying and preparing, and along with this, the book-reading habit will be cultivated among people. Screen time, which is increasing due to mobiles, will also decrease. Overall, this will promote mental and physical fitness, motivate people for preparation, and in a way, this is a public campaign in which everyone's support is being received, and in the coming time, the target of 1,000 books that we have set, I feel we will achieve it," he added.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami earlier this month participated in the 'Harela Festival' programme held as part of the 'Lok Sanvardhan Parv' at the Parade Ground in Dehradun.
Dhami said the state's traditional 'Harela' festival carries a unique message of environmental conservation for the world, stressing that development and ecological preservation must go hand in hand.
Referring to the global challenges of climate change, global warming and rising pollution, the Chief Minister said Uttarakhand's Harela festival symbolises the importance of protecting the environment and spreading awareness about conservation.
"We cannot leave our heritage and greenery behind in the race for development. Development is moving fast, yet we are striving to strike a balance between ecology and economy. When the media ask about our development model, we describe it as one based on both ecology and economy," Dhami said.
He reiterated that safeguarding natural resources remains essential for ensuring human well-being and sustainable development. (ANI)