Villagers give up poppy cultivation, plant fruit bearing trees
Source: Chronicle News Service / Kaimuanthang Mangte
Churachandpur, July 02 2021:
Amid the week-long Van Mahotsav observance launched by chief minister N Biren Singh on June 30, many people in Churachandpur district have decided to restore forest cover lost due to massive cultivation of poppy in the last ten years.
These are the villagers who earlier indulged in poppy cultivation as a source of livelihood but are now are busy planting trees.
A tree plantation drive was carried out on Friday at Patlen village area as part of the chief minister's dream of a drug free society and his mission to help people find an alternative means of livelihood by planting fruit bearing plants.
The drive was undertaken through the initiative of the district administration, police and forest department and in collaboration with organisations like Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Koite Areas Chiefs' Association and others.
The aim is to plant at least one lakh plants in the area where at least 15 villagers and 10 members from each village are taking part in the campaign, said the DC Churachandpur.
The SP Churachandpur, on the other hand, said that three objectives of the mass tree plantation are to discourage poppy plantation, to provide alternative source of livelihood and to plant many fruit bearing trees.
Forest department's range officer Lunkhomang Haokip, while talking to media persons, expressed gratitude to the chief minister for coming up with the idea of mass tree plantation programme.
He also thanked the district administration for organising the plantation drive on a large scale.
Churachandpur DC PawanYadav, SP Srivanand Surve, Addl SP Lawrence, SDO (Tuibuong) Jangminlen and forest department headed by range officer Lunkhomang, besides others, took part in the mass tree plantation programme.