Langol Reserve Forest losing its sheen
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Maisnam Karnajit/Ningombam Pramod

Imphal, May 11 2013 : Even as the whole world is deeply concerned over changing climatic condition and is making every possible effort to save the environment from further degradation, the Langol Reserve Forest is shrinking day by day, thus, losing the look of a forest.

On the other hand, the officials of Forest Department, who are posted on duty to look after the trees growing in the Reserve Forest area, are doing nothing other than keep watching when unauthorized people cut down the trees and drag them away right in front of their own eyes.

On receiving specific information that some vested interested individuals are all set to cut the trees from the Reserve Forest of Iroishemba Khudolpot area, Hueiyen Lanpao went to take a firsthand report of the matter.

What Hueiyen Lanpao found was simply astonishing and disheartening.

Langol Reserve Forest losing its sheen

A large number of trees in the reserve forest area were found burnt just above the ground to make them wither, even though the place is a strictly prohibited area for unauthorized people.

The outer layers (barks) of three medium-sized trees were also found pushed down from atop the hill.

Though there were no people nearby, some individuals were seen at a distance with certain tools for cutting down the trees in their hands.

In addition to a number of dried up trees, the stumps of a number of trees newly cut down were also found in the Reserve Forest area.

Apart from these, certain individuals were seen digging and removing earth from the hill cliff located at a distance of around 200 metres from the main entrance of Iroishemba Zoological Garden towards Lamshang.

It was learnt that its normal daily routine that the earth, thus, removed are carried away in truckloads.

This unauthorized activity of removing earth from the hill cliff has also resulted in uprooting of the trees planted.

Interestingly, the site from where the earth is being removed in truckloads daily is located just 200 metres away from the Iroishemba Forest Beat.

But it is not possible to see the activity as the view is blocked by a hillock.

Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao, a villager, however, pointed out that if the officials of Forest Department care enough to inspect what is going on in the area, all the unlawful activities would be clearly visible.

The villager also stated that there are apprehensions that even the officials of Forest Department themselves might be involved in cutting down the trees from reserve forest area and selling them off.

With unauthorised felling down of trees and removal of earth going on without any restriction, the number of trees growing in the Langol Reserve Forest has been reduced to a considerable level and it is feared that the reserve forest area would completely disappear very soon.