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Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 5 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh on Monday attended the first ever tree plantation programme organised by the Forest department in a reserved forest area in Kangpokpi district as part of Van Mahotsav in the state, according to a DIPR report.
Speaking on the occasion, N Biren Singh maintained that every land in the state belongs to the government and it has the authority to use those lands for purposes, which are meant for the development and welfare of its people. He appealed to the public to co-operate in the development policies and projects initiated by the government and refrain from thinking that their lands independently belong to them.
"We shouldn’t be moved by politically and communally provoked thought but should have a mindset of living together with a sense of brotherhood among different communities", he added.
Appreciating the support of Mangjol village for their invaluable support during the plantation drive, he stated that the programme had been taken up as an initiative to restore the natural environment of the region. Such an initiative would help in preventing landslides during the rainy season, facilitate storing and supply of water to the village without additional measures from the Water Supply department, he said.
Meanwhile, he appealed to the public to be vaccinated and cooperate in the government’s fight against the pandemic.
Forest minister Awangbow Newmai raised concern on the alarming rate of deforestation in the state. He informed that about 400 square kilometres of forest is cleared every year and with this rate, the state would lose almost all its forest cover in near future. He expressed the need for people’s participation in saving forest areas by planting more trees and stopping deforestation as the Forest department alone cannot take up all activities with its limited workforce. Stating that we have to save ourselves, the minister appealed to the public to cooperate and support mitigation of climate change due to environmental degradation. He also urged the people to stop clearing forests for earning their livelihood, but to access certain welfare schemes of the government, which are meant for providing a source of livelihood.
In his speech, Leishemba Sanajaoba, MP Rajya Sabha pointed out that large scale deforestation and environmental degradation must be one of the major factors for certain diseases causing harm to human lives. He stressed on the need to stop unnecessary exploitation of forest and to co-exist with nature by preserving it.