Imphal, August 19 2010: Indigenous bio-resources, flora and fauna in Manipur are presently at various degrees of threat despite various conservation projects and schemes.

Manipur state falls in the region of Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspots, which is known as one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to rapid exploitation and habitat loss.

A wide diversity of ecosystems is represented in this hotspot, including mixed wet evergreen, dry evergreen and deciduous forests, etc.

Findings of the study of the environment and ecological wing of the Manipur government revealed as a fact that the population of indigenous bio-resources of the state has been diminishing day by day due to lack of popularization, scientific documentation, cataloging and proper environmental planning.

The widespread flora and fauna diversity, a high percentage of endemism in a host of species are presently at various degrees of threat.

Wetland as well as water bodies of the state are being depleted due to developmental programmes and encroachment.

For protection, conservation and regeneration of the flora and fauna, the necessity of conservation of these wetlands and water bodies is seriously felt, it was observed.

Survey, collection, collation, resource and development on indigenous bio-resources are the major activities which have been taken up under the schemes related with conservation and preservation of natural resources.

It has been revealed that out of 155 natural lakes in Manipur, 136 have dried up.

Out of the remaining 19 lakes, nine are also on the brink of vanishing.

Thus, the existing water bodies which cover an area of 23,246 hectares during post- monsoon is only about 10,661 hectares during the pre-monsoon season.

This has caused major changes in the climatic condition of the State.

The climatic condition of Manipur has now dramatically changed.

Twenty years ago, no one had ever expected that the maximum temperature in the State would reach 33 degree centigrade.

The summer season then was also very short.

Manipur used to be known as a land that remains cold throughout the year.

The climate has changed for the worse due to the fact that most of the lakes that had existed in the hills and the valleys dried up and the forests had been destroyed, environmentalists observed.

The Environmental and Ecology Wing, established in 1997, act as a nodal agency for planning, co-ordination and promotion of meaningful application in various developmental programmes to achieve the socio economic objective of the state and for advancing mass awareness and protection of the fragile environment.

The wing had taken up various programmes to maintain a consistent balance between the developmental programmes and restoration of natural environment in Manipur apart from acting as the nodal agency for preparation of the environment report of the state and national environment awareness programme.

It also acts as ENVIS (Environmental Information System) under the union ministry of Environment and Forests.

The state government also assigned this office for the State Referral Laboratory (SRL)/State Referral Institute (SRI) for the National Rural Water Quality Monitoring.

The main aim and basic target of the various schemes is to arrest further damage in the ecosystem of this state.

Under this scheme the wing is taking up many programme like mass aforestation, landscaping/land development and tree plantation programme to schools and colleges in Mainpur, officials at the Environmental and Ecology Wing said.

Through these schemes environmental problems/issues of the state are being delivered to target groups in order to develop skills, attitudes and values so as to enable and encourage individuals in the promotion of sustainable development by their actions, they added.

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