Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 31 2009:To add more teeth to Forest Guards, the State Government has been considering to equip them with modern weapons and also to increase their number so that they can check illegal encroachment into reserved/protected areas, felling trees and burning bushes/jungles, said Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.
Ibobi was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural function of a newly constructed Forest office building at Sanjenthong today.
He emphasised the need to protect trees and plants in order to keep environment healthy.
It would be wrong to entrust all the responsibility to keep the State green all year round to the Department concerned alone.
It should be the collective responsibility of all the people, he asserted.
Saying that the Government has taken serious note of the act of felling trees, burning bushes and illegal encroachment in reserved and protected forest areas, Ibobi said that the Government has been working hard to arm Forest Guards as well as to increase their number.
In his presidential speech, Forest and Environment Minister Th Debendra observed that the responsibilities of Forest Department has multiplied manifold in the backdrop of raising temperature and climatic changes across the world.
As the State too has been affected by global warming, due awareness should be given to the public and extensive tree plantation programmes should be launched all over the State, he said.
The office building of the Forest Department was constructed since 2006 at the cost of Rs 1