Consultation on Environment Protection conducted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 29 2021:
A consultation on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development was held at Saibol village in Tengnoupal district on April 27.The consultation was organised by the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRA) and the Rilram Area Maring Organization (RAMO) in the context of increased environmental degradation and the increased targeting of land and natural resources for unsustainable development processes that worsened the social and environment impacts in Manipur, said a statement of CRA.
Modar, executive member of RAMO presented the keynote address and expressed concern with the plans for extractive industries, specifically to mine Chromium and Limestone in Eastern areas of Manipur.
He stressed on the need to take consent of all indigenous people for policies or projects to be pursued in the pretext of development and stated that the harmful effects of mining in other places should be carefully studied.
Further he stated that RAMO resolved to stand against mining activities in Rilram areas in eastern Manipur considering the adverse impacts of mining.
Jiten Yumnam, secretary of CRA deliberated on Sustainable Development and Challenges in Manipur and shared that large dams, mining and other infrastructure projects will undermine sustainable development and will pose hardships to the future generation.
The Taret Lok River should be protected from unsustainable development, he added.
Environmental activist Themson Jajo shared that the Mapithel Dam and Khuga Dam displaced thousands of communities and caused hardship and impoverishment by submerging their forest and agricultural land and stated that such projects cannot be considered as sustainable development.
The participants of the consultation affirmed that land, rivers and forest are life for them and called for recognition of indigenous people's right over their land and natural resources and any mining activity and energy projects like large dams should not be pursued in RILRAM areas without the recognition of rights and prior consent of indigenous communities.
Lastly they resolved to protect the land and natural resources and advance sustainable development in Manipur.