Manipur’s Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department will conduct mass plantation of fruit bearing trees such as jackfruit, litchi and even cashew on the Indian side of the Indo-Myanmar border by consulting the experts.
This was disclosed by Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounoajam Shyamkumar during his day long visit to the Moreh sector of the Indo-Myanmar border on Wednesday.
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Speaking to reporters, Minister Shyamkumar who also holds Horticulture and Soil Conservation portfolio, while visiting Holenphai, a border village, about 115 km south of Imphal in Tengnoupal district as part of the day’s forest area inspection tour, said the state Chief Minister will be consulted on possible steps to be taken up to combat global warming in the region.
Expressing concern over the cutting down of trees in the past, he said the region will be facing the effect of climate change if massive cutting continues in the border area. He further appealed to the people of the area not to cut trees and help in saving the environment.
He also expressed his desire to stop illegal transportation of logs. Village chief Lalkholun Haokip of Holenphai and Forest Department officials accompanied the Minister during the visit.
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Earlier on Tuesday, a high level team of officials from the Manipur Forest department led by Shyamkumar had seized a truck loaded with illegal logs along the Sejol-Vaukom road near Tuilienjang village.
The seizure was done during an inspection trip in the forest areas of Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram.
The truck was later handed over to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Southern Forest Division, Churachandpur for further investigation.
Forest Minister Shyamkumar was inspecting the forest areas located under Henglep sub-division of the district.
The Minister was accompanied by Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, K Angami of the State Forest department along with other senior forest officials of the Divisional Forest Office, Southern Forest Division, Churachandpur.
The Minister who hails from Andro constituency in Imphal East district, also dismantled several bird nets used for trapping in the area by the villagers.
In an earlier occasion in May last year, Shyamkumar had intercepted 14 timber laden trucks, which were illegally transporting from Myanmar via Kamjong district in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.