NSF expresses concern over long-term negative impact of oil palm cultivation on Nagaland

The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed concern and urged upon the department concerned to “exercise utmost caution in propagating the economic benefit of the oil palm while shying away from educating the gullible farmers of its negative impacts”

DIMAPUR — The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed concern over the possible long-term negative impact the commercial cultivation of oil palm could have on the health, forest, biodiversity and quality of soil in Nagaland.

The federation, in a press release, stated that it is a known fact that the Union cabinet had allocated INR 11, 040 crore for the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with a focus on North-Eastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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“Nagaland state alone has a total of 5423 hectares under oil palm cultivation across seven districts and efforts are being made on war-footing to expand the area under oil palm cultivation for which the department of Agriculture appears to be leaving no stone unturned,” the NSF stated.

It pointed out that a recent report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) had revealed that Nagaland lost a total of 235 sq. km of forest land in the last two years.

“This can be largely attributed to the forest clearing for starting the cultivation of oil palms. Our rich bio-diversity, flora and fauna, wild fruit plants, rare medicinal plants and the habitat of rare species stands threatened to be annihilated if the plantation drive continues,” it stated.

The federation also said that one cannot ignore the fact that oil palm tree requires 200 to 300 litres of water per day. Nagaland as a state which often faces drought and uneven rainfall cannot afford to cultivate such a water-guzzling plant on a commercial scale, it stated.

It went on to say that one can’t turn a blind eye to other environmental concerns associated with the oil palm cultivation, such as soil degradation, water pollution from fertilizers, which in turn pose a huge risk to human health.

The NSF further stated that the authorities concerned must thoroughly peruse the failure stories of the oil palm cultivation in various parts of the world, to provide informed advice to the citizens of the state and not mislead them with promises of “economic windfall.”

“The story of the failure of oil palm cultivation in the state of Mizoram cannot be overlooked. Sugar-coating a severely burnt cake should not be the way forward,” it said, adding that activities that will have an irreversible negative impact on the environment, human health and hasten climate change should not be made for economic benefit alone.

The student body urged upon the department concerned to “exercise utmost caution in propagating the economic benefit of the oil palm while shying away from educating the gullible farmers of its negative impacts”.

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