Planting trees, protecting futures

This insurance officer was appointed brand ambassador of the Assam forest dept owing to his relentless efforts to safeguard the environment, planting at least one tree every day since 2012, Prasanta Mazumdar narrates

- Prasanta Mazumdar

ANANDA Khataniar, a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) development officer from Assam, has spent the past 13 years insuring lives in more ways than one. While he fulfils his official duties by providing insurance policies, his greater mission lies in safeguarding the region's environmental future. Since 2012, he has planted at least one tree every single day, turning his passion for nature into a lifelong commitment. In recognition of his relentless efforts, the Assam government appointed him as the brand ambassador of the Department of Forest and Environment in 2018.

Khataniar, 55, was born in Kurobaha village of Pathsala in lower Assam's Bajali district. A nature lover since childhood, he was deeply moved by the threat of global warming and climate change during his college days while pursuing a BSc in botany. The realisation that steady loss of forest cover was a reason behind it made him take an initiative to plant trees and motivate others to do so. He started visiting places and planting trees.