Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 09 2010:
Incessant rains threw people out of gear in the state today and the mercury level recorded a sharp decline.
Rainfall was recorded at 15 mm while mercury level was 14�C during the day.
Humidity was recorded at 96%, weather reports informed.
Life was severely affected by the uninterrupted rainfall across the state.
Severe impact to life was reported from Chandel district where a biting winter was experienced last year.
Last year, the district experienced snowfall and severe cold conditions.
People in Chandel remained indoors for the day due to non-stop rainfall and a cold wave coupled with fog, a report from the district headquarters said.
Usually the four months of November, December, January and February are dry and rainfall during this period is scanty except on rare occasions.
Manipur on the whole has been experiencing a drastic climate change.
Environmentalists blame mass scale deforestation and shifting cultivation (pamlou uba) in the hills behind the alarming climatic change.
On the other hand analysis report of the state environment and ecology office incredulously claims that the total forest area covers about 67.7% of the geographical area of Manipur.
In 1990, it was 17,679 sq.
km that is about 79% of the total geographical area of the state.
Reports of the state forest department brazenly says that the forest cover of Manipur is 17,219 sq kms which is 77.12% of the total geographical area of the state as against 16,926 sq km in 2001 stating that it indicates a gain of 293 sq kms (1.13%) in forest cover during the period.
The reasons for the fast reduction of the forest areas in the state are particularly due to the burning of forests for shifting cultivation (pamlou uba) 99% and hunting of animals.
Felling of trees for fuel hardly constitute 1% of the cause of removal of the forest cover in the geographical area of Manipur.
More than 83 thousand families reportedly practice shifting cultivation in the vast forest areas of Manipur.
The total area under jhum cultivation was around 1,832 square kilometer in 1976 which gradually increased to 3,600 sq.km in 1983 and 4,905 sq.km.
by 1990, according to reports of FSI and NRSA.
Churachandpur with 34% of the total area covered by jhum was highest among the hill districts.
The next being Chandel district with 25 %.
Out of the total area of Ukhrul 22% was affected by jhum practice while only 10% and 9% are affected in Senapati and Tamenglong respectively.
Increase in jhum area, the intensity of jhuming and shortening of the jhum cycle due to high population growth, are destroying the forests and the rich biodiversity.
The forests are on the verge of becoming totally degraded due to loss of top soil, fertility and vegetative cover ultimately destined to become a barren wasteland, reports of the environment and ecology wing office said.
No fruitful result has been seen of the efforts of the forest department as to check in the practice of shifting cultivation in the hill areas which is directly related with the reduction of forest cover area in the state.
Amidst all this the report of the state forest department indicating a gain of forest cover can only be described as a tig leaf to cover its shortcomings.