Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey at the meet in Dharhara on Sunday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Dharhara (Bhagalpur), June 5: Nestled among lush green trees, this village embodies the spirit of the World Environment Day in true sense. The village is known for its unique and age-old tradition of planting at least five trees on the birth of a girl child in a family.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, apparently, has fallen in love with the ambience of the village the first time he came here on June10, 2010 to plant a mango tree on the birth of Lavi Kumari.

And today, he landed here to express his love to the village people and the tradition again. “I have fallen in love with Dharhara people who have set an example of being eco-friendly. There is no village like Dharhara in the entire world.”

Nitish then remembered Lavi. “Where is Lavi?” he asked. The child was instantly brought before him.

Nitish said affectionately, “I am your dada ji (grandfather) now.”

Rimu Raj was born some days after Nitish had left the village in June 10. Rimu, too, was brought before the chief minister who picked the child up in his arms, and said, “I am yours dada ji too.”

The chief minister was accompanied by health minister Ashwini Choubey and human resource development minister P.K. Shahi.

Nitish and his colleagues planted the sapling of the famous zardalu mango in the name of Rimu who was the youngest girl child in the village in Bhagalpur district.

Nitish while expressing his desire to make his “loving relationship” with Dharhara people a long-lasting affair, recalled how a media report had awakened him about the village and its unique tradition about a year ago.

“The unique tradition of planting the trees on the birth of girl children is not only an effort in preserving the nature. It also brings to the fore the Dharhara denizens’ love for girl babies when the census report is showing the falling male-female ratio in the country,” Nitish said.

Moreover, he added, the village looks lush green, soothing the eyes in the age when the concrete jungles are taking over the greenery. ”I have come to you to celebrate the World Environment Day for I do not find any other place better suited for such a celebration,” he told the villagers.

Nitish said: “Most of the forest cover fell in Jharkhand’s share after the bifurcation of Bihar. Our state bereft of adequate trees faces serious threat on its environment. If the people of other parts of the state follow what you are doing at Dharhara, Bihar too will be full with greenery.” While addressing the villagers, Nitish dwelt at length on the need to preserve the trees and vegetation.

“Global warming is on the rise and glaciers are melting. This alarming development is taking place due to people’s unfriendly conduct with the nature.”

Kumar also inaugurated a Kilkari centre at Dharhara for stimulating extra-curricular activities among the schoolgoing children. He also sanctioned a pucca roads in the village worth Rs 1.5 crore. The road will be ready by the time I make my next trip to the village,” Nitish said, directing the district officials to build the road as soon as possible.

The health minister announced that the state government has decided to open a six-bed additional public health centre at Gopalpur- the block headquarters in which Dharhara falls. Shahi too said that the government would do “everything possible” to keep the morale of Dharhara people high.