Will wetlands restoration vows ever materialise ?
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 07, 2023 -
WHENEVER the state faces drought-like situation, which is the case at present, or during observances of the UN-mandated events such as the World Environment Day and the World Wetlands Day, to name a few, the general narratives from government authorities mainly centre on maintaining ecological balance, expressing concern on gradual disappearance of lakes and wetlands and seeking public's cooperation in protecting natural forests and water bodies.
Intensity of the water shortage crisis besetting the state with each passing year could be comprehended from the remarks of Tourangbam Brajakumar, who is the joint director of Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, that the state government is in the process of framing a policy for treatment of sewage water during the recently held state-level observance of World Wetlands Day.
Some decades back disclosure of government policy for treatment and reuse of sewage water would be nauseous for many whereas at the juncture when farmers are bereft of irrigation water and the general population, especially in urban areas, reeling under acute shortage of potable water, such a project would seem acceptable.
As stated by the joint director, Manipur had around 700 wetlands but were found shrunk to 550 as per the findings of the Surveyor of India in 1970 and to only 113 by 2018.
The pace of disappearance of the wetlands signifies sluggishness of successive governments and its institutions in saving and restoring the water bodies either due to financial constraints or lack of foresight that the situation would be irreversible as is the case at present.
Like it or not, conduct of awareness programmes, announcements made during annual observances about plans and promises for projects to restore the water bodies or wetlands had been the only notable initiatives by the government agencies and representatives.
As implementation of plans and projects generally takes time in the state, it is but natural that the impact from global warming will only intensify and the response from the masses will remain lukewarm.
For instance, since the formative years of present regime, government authorities had been announcing plans for restoration of Lamphelpat, which used to one of the largest water bodies in Imphal area, and developing it to a tourist spot only for the erstwhile wetland to rapidly shrink in size due to encroachment, structural constructions for establishing government institutions and accommodation of employees and expansion of health centres run by private parties.
Accepted that eviction drives are being carried out occasionally to preserve the Lamphelpat water body but only for the vacated areas to be converted into either waste disposal sites or for stealthy resettlement of the same evicted families after some months of dismantlement of the residential houses and farms.
Nevertheless, with the state starting to experience acute shortage of potable water every year during the lean seasons and the situation unlikely to improve in view of the massive destruction caused to the natural forests it is hoped that the government will actually translate into action the plan for saving Lamphelpat.
With the Union government having already advised the states to accord importance to rain water harvesting projects and schemes that would come handy in addressing the global warming phenomenon, there is no reason why the centre would be reluctant to fund initiative for restoration of Lamphelpat and other water bodies.
Now that the same proposed project has been reiterated by chief minister N Biren in a public event on Sunday, the public would be hoping that this time around restoration of Lamphelpat and Waithoupat would see the light of the day.
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