Tura, Nov. 2: National People's Party chief and Tura Lok Sabha MP Conrad K. Sangma today urged every child in the state to adopt a tree and contribute to the cause of a greener earth.

"We have to care for our planet. It is the responsibility of every concerned citizen. I urge every child in a school to adopt a tree and pledge - let me take care of a tree that gives me oxygen," said Sangma, while speaking at the inaugural session of the Northeast Green Summit, which is under way here.

The summit is organised by a Guwahati-based publication house in collaboration with North Eastern Hill University and Don Bosco College, Tura.

Sangma said steps that allow measurable goals and target should be the key focus of the summit, which will create awareness among the citizens. "We should define realistic goals. There is nothing called small steps. Every step taken for the earth is important. We have to take it up as a challenge and be prepared for our future generation," Sangma said.

Inaugurating the summit, secretary, DoNER ministry, Navin Verma, highlighted the importance of the rich natural resources of the Northeast. "We have to convert our resources to wealth, which is a way towards sustainable deve-lopment and economic gain."

Verma also spoke at length about the bamboo of Northeast and its potential. He also stressed that there is a big market for bamboo outside India. He said the region should be promoted as a green destination by highlighting the bio-diversity hotspots of the Northeast.

"I see potential of green tourism in the Northeast. Entrepreneurs should take up ventures, which will promote the region and its best to the rest of the world," Verma said.

The summit will end on Saturday with different sessions and a cultural evening. There will be a brainstorming session which will be attended by green policymakers,technical sessions on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, green power and towards building a natural economic zone at the summit.

As part of the programme, an art exhibition and workshop will be held in collaboration with Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. Artists from different parts of India will showcase their works on nature.

Lalit Kala artists will also hold a first-ever artists-in-residency workshop on clean and green Northeast. A concert inspired by nature will be held on Saturday. The attraction is the Vayali Folklore group, a group from Kerala. The group uses indigenous percussion instruments made of bamboo and colourful costumes to create foot-tapping music to preserve the dying Valluvanadan tradition and culture.

Others who spoke on the occasion include Gour Das Choudhuri, director of Fortis Healthcare, founder of the HOPE initiative and former president of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology, Siddharth Ghosh, eastern Indian secretary, Lalit Kala Akademi, Garo Students' Union president Tengsak G. Momin, P.K. Prasad, managing director of the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited and Shailendra Choudhari, managing director of the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project.