Forest protection rights
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2013:
The Manipur Ecological and Environment Protection Association (MEEPA) has urged the State as well as the Central Government to give protection to forests under the Recognition of Forest Rights, 2006 .
Addressing a press meet today at the Manipur Press Club, president of MEEPA, Th Gogonbihari said many of the population of the State are still lacking awareness on the protection of forests.
The practice of felling down trees is having a direct impact on human being, he said.
The MEEPA president said random clearing of forests for various traditional purposes resulted in unusual change in the ecological system.
Mentioning that 7/10th of the total land of the State is in the hill, Gogonbihari said forest areas, even reserved ones, are cleared randomly.
He also stressed on the need to spread awareness on forest protection among the people.
He further pledged that the State and Central Govt would be pressurised to give protection to the forests under Recognition of Forest Rights 2006 .
Asserting that the State Government should monitor human settlement in forest area, Gogonhihari forewarned that the State would witness unprecedented ecological imbalance in few years time.