Imphal, Sept. 20: Manipur governor Najma A. Heptulla today appealed to the people to save their environment by keeping their areas clean.

Speaking to reporters at Raj Bhavan here, she said piling of garbage was destroying the environment. It is essential that people understand the importance of cleanliness to keep themselves healthy and the state beautiful, she added.

Heptulla said the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014, was a significant campaign with a vision of clean India.

'We should extend co-operation to the government by keeping our environment clean. Schoolchildren were invited for a painting competition and seminars and lectures were organised for them at Raj Bhavan to draw their attention towards the importance of cleanliness,' she said.

She said she was trying hard for removal of the Ithai barrage as it was polluting and choking Loktak, the largest lake in the Northeast. 'We should convey the message of keeping Loktak lake clean, specially to people living around it. Development of the road leading to Loktak lake is vital to attract tourists. With proper infrastructure and manpower, water sports and swimming can be organised in Loktak lake,' she said.

She also suggested that floriculture be developed in the hill areas, which have a rich biodiversity. She said this would create job for women without destroying the biodiversity. The governor said they were working on the flying doctors scheme which would be very useful for other hill areas in the Northeast, as the neighbouring states share similar topographical features. The North Eastern Council has allocated Rs 25 crore for the scheme, she added.

The governor had informed Modi of the plan when she had visited New Delhi early this month. Under the scheme, senior specialists from various fields are flown to distant locations at routine intervals to make specialised healthcare available to local people who cannot afford to travel for advice related to diseases/conditions that need expert help.

The governor also reiterated the importance of the national anthem, saying everyone must respect it and nobody should move while it is being sung.

On a day the governor spoke about cleanliness, forest, environment, horticulture and soil conservation minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar handed over 13 Tata Ace Hopper Tipper garbage disposal trucks to seven NGOs working under the Clean Imphal Project of the Imphal Municipal Corporation at a function held at MGT Motors showroom, Sangaiprou.

The state government will bear 35 per cent of the cost of purchase of the vehicles, the NGOs will bear 50 per cent and the United Bank of India, Manipur, will bear the remaining 15 per cent.

The minister sought cooperation from all sections of society to keep the city clean. He said handing over of the garbage disposal vehicles to IMC workers was a part of the effort to make Imphal a clean city. He appealed to the women vendors of Khwairamband Keithel to cooperate with the IMC by keeping their respective areas clean. If individual vendors start cleaning their areas, it will help the cleanliness mission, he said.