Women of self-help groups in Raigarh are making eco-friendly rakhis from indigenous seeds. After use, these rakhis will turn into plants and give the message of environmental protection.
Raipur. This time the festival of Rakshabandhan will not only be a symbol of brother-sister affection, but will also give a strong message of environmental protection. Women of self-help groups in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh are preparing such ‘eco-friendly seed rakhis’ which, when put in the soil after use, will grow plants. This initiative is being considered a unique effort towards nature conservation and increasing greenery. Under the guidance of Collector Mayank Chaturvedi, with the help of District Panchayat Raigarh and National Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan), seed rakhis are being prepared by women in all the development blocks of the district.
Eco Friendly Seed Rakhi: Unique Rakhis being prepared from local seeds
The biggest feature of these Rakhis is that they are being made in an attractive way from indigenous seeds like paddy, maize, corn, semi, bitter gourd and barbati. After Rakshabandhan, if these Rakhis are buried in the soil or thrown in an open place, the seeds present in them will germinate and turn into plants. The objective of this initiative is not limited to just tying Rakhi, but also to spread the message of environmental protection along with brother-sister love to the people.
Beej Rakhi campaign got enthusiasm in every village of Raigarh
A lot of enthusiasm is being seen among women and agricultural friends in all the seven development blocks of the district regarding the Beej Rakhi campaign. Kavita Rathiya, a member of Krishna Self-Help Group in village Duliamuda-Koilar of Dharamjaygarh development block, has set an example of a new initiative by preparing attractive seed rakhis.
Apart from this, women in many villages of the district including Baispali, Junwani, Loing, Gopalpur, Sambalpuri, Lailunga of Raigarh, Janani group in Libera village of Tamnar, Gayatri group in Badegumra of Gharghoda and Putkapuri cluster of Pusaur are joining this campaign and giving the message of environmental protection.
Seed Rakhi Competition: Best seed Rakhi will be selected from seven development blocks
To promote this innovation, on July 20, one best seed Rakhi will be selected from all the seven development blocks of the district. Rakhis will be evaluated on the basis of their attractive design, use of indigenous seeds and message of environmental protection. The objective of this competition is to encourage the creativity of women and also to make people aware of the environment.
The winning women will tie seed rakhi to officials including the collector.
The winning women of the seven development blocks selected in the competition will be honored in a special felicitation ceremony organized on July 27. On this occasion, these women will tie seed rakhis made with their own hands to the collector and senior officials of the district. This will strengthen the message of environmental protection at the administrative level also.
Beej Rakhi campaign is becoming a mass movement for environmental protection
This initiative of women of self-help groups associated with Bihaan is no longer limited to just one competition. This campaign is becoming a medium for public participation in connecting people with nature and increasing greenery. This effort to link brother-sister relationship with nature conservation through Beej Rakhi not only conveys the message of responsibility towards the environment, but also inspires the society to adopt a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle.