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The Manipur Forest department has embarked on a major campaign to conserve its natural and forest resources with the department giving a prominent push for making the Keibul Lamjao National Park a world heritage site.

Addressing a press conference held at the Directorate of Information of Public Relations, Imphal, Sambhu Singh, additional chief secretary (Forest) said that there is a strong need of preserving and conserving forests and to adapt to the environment. He declared the Keibul Lamjao national park as an eco sensitive zone to further its claim as a world heritage site.

Principal Chief Conservator, P N Prasad said the Langol reserve will be free of all encroachers. Highlighting the achievements of the forest department, Prasad said that the Forest department is no longer considered a revenue earning organization and more emphasis is given on conservation of environment and natural resources. This year Rs 370.58 lakhs was collected as revenue and 25 state plan schemes were taken up with an outlay of Rs 1159 lakhs. The department also took up six centrally sponsored schemes, National Afforestation Programme, National Bamboo Mission, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat, Development of Orchid Preservation centre at Khonghampat and Green India Mission.

Prasad informed that the department is optimistic that developing the eco tourism sector in the state would generate income besides providing employment opportunities. He said that as eco-tourism is the future of the tourism industry, the DoNER ministry has agreed to fund the project. The department further informed that to wean away farmers from the plantation of poppy, cardamom plantation has been encouraged in the areas. Prasad also informed that the forest cover of the state is 16,994 sq km which is 76.11 percent of the state’s total area. The tree cover of the state is 243 sq km. About 721 sq km is under very dense forest cover and 5426 sq km under moderately dense forest area. The area under reserved forests including Wildlife Protected area network is 1,467 sq km. An area of 4,171 sq kms is recorded as protected forests and the rest as unclassed. Manipur is the only state in the northeast where the entire forest is managed under the Working Plan prepared under National Working Plan Code 2004.

Source:  Northeast Today