For meaningful task to save forest
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 03, 2014 -

In a welcome step, the Government of Manipur has set up four ‘Task Forces’ to deal with unchecked deforestation, excavation of earth and encroachment in reserved forest areas.

Sharp decline in the forest cover of Manipur, which was once known for its lush green mountains and velvety green valley, has been a cause of concern for everyone today.

According to State Forest Report, 2009 submitted by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the forest cover of Manipur recorded 17280 sq. kms as against 17219 sq kms in 2003 and 17086 sq. kms in 2005.

But by the time the biennial report of FSI covering the study period of 2007-2009 was submitted to the Ministry in 2011; Manipur startling witnessed maximum reduction in its forest cover of 190 sq km among all other Northeast States.

This drastic decline in forest cover of Manipur has been attributed to various factors like unrestrained and illicit felling of trees, shortening of shifting cultivation cycle, and encroachment in reserved forest areas, etc, on one hand, and and lack of scientific management of forests and collective public awareness on the importance of forest, on the other hand.

Against this backdrop, the announcement on the formation of Task Forces to deal with unchecked deforestation, excavation of earth and encroachment in reserved forest areas of the State on July 2 only has come rather late. But then, as they say, better late than never.

Along with official announcement on the formation of these Task Forces, it is learnt that Deputy Commissioners of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts, who are to head as chairmen and assisted by Superintendent of Police and Divisional Forest Officer concerned as member and member secretary respectively, have been given the instruction to start their duties at once.

Each of these Task force have to pay special attention on three major areas, namely taking up preventive measures to stop illegal deforestation activities including excavation of earth, quarrying of sand and stone, etc; removing of illegal structures built inside Reserved Forest or Protected Forest area and checking the operation of small industrial estates like saw mills.

And, as first step towards saving the forest, each of these four Task Forces has been asked to pay inspection visit to all saw mills under their respective jurisdiction and take up legal action against the owners if they were found using illegal timber woods.

In case of necessity, the Task Forces would be allowed to engage officials from the Industries Department and other Government employees to assist them in performing there duties.

All these are okay, but one thing that we would like to underline here for any meaningful effort towards protection, conservation and development of the degraded forest areas is the need to involve the local communities, who depend on the forest for their daily sustenance.

This is also what the National Forest Policy of 1988 had envisaged.