Manipur fast losing its green cover

IMPHAL: At a time when Manipur government and hordes of NGOs are gearing up for a massive tree plantation drive, 190 square km of forest area in the hills of the state has been destructed in the last three years, said a senior forest official.

On the occasion of " World Environment Day" in Imphal, DFO (Parks and Sanctuary) of Manipur forest department L Joykumar Singh said a survey report found that 190 square km of forest area was lost between 2009 and 2011. Of this, Senapati's chunk is the biggest with 120 square km, said Joykumar, during a discussion on climate change-cum-release of a documentary film titled "An Unattended Guest" here on Tuesday.

Stating that large-scale felling of trees is one of the key factors in triggering global warming and ecological imbalance, the senior forest officer emphasized the need to spread awareness in the hill districts on the catastrophic results inflicted on flora and fauna.

Environmentalist R K Ranjan Singh lamented that the trend of felling trees in the hills by using the hill people as labourers is on the rise. He said a collective effort from all quarters is the need of the hour to conserve forests and wildlife.

Congress MLA M K Preshaw Shimray, who was elected from Chingai, said the hill people should take a bold decision to help the government's efforts to save the forest and environment. During the programme, a 21-minute documentary film christened "An Unattended Guest", directed by young environmentalist Laishram Shamungou, was screened. The film portrayed a steep fall in the number of two migratory bird species - Grey Sided Thrush and Eye Browed Thrush - in Shiroy hills in Ukhurl district owing to massive felling of "michelia doltsopa" trees, locally known as Leihao Leishang, which is their natural habitat.

While the grey sided thrush comes from China, eye browed thrush's breeding home is Siberia, said Shamungou. He added that the two species had visited Shiroy in large numbers earlier.

Shamungou had earlier made a film titled "The Untold Story" that depicts the chain of felling pinewood trees by villagers of Chamu in Ukhrul, which is a part and parcel of their livelihood.