Imphal, December 10 2008: A NEW project aims at reclamation of Jhumland in Manipur to be implemented in the five hills districts of Manipur drafted by the state forest department has got clearance from the Planning Commission of India, a government source said Wednesday.

The project named "Reclamation of Jhumland for Socio-Economic Development of Jhumia Community in Manipur" was proposed by the state government in April this year and will be located in the Jhumland of Churachandpur, Chandel, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Senapati districts as per the proposal, the source said.

The project is scheduled for four year commencing from this current year 2008-09 will continue till 2011-12 which will be in phase-wise manner.

Shifting cultivation (jhuming practice) which is directly linked with deforestation, is one of the main causes for extreme weather changes in the state.

Despite steps being taken to wean the practices of the same by the state forest department, there could see any remarkable improvement in the fields as there have no government project or policy to reclaim the jhum lands abandoned by the Jhumias.

Environmentalists of the state have been projecting increased landslides, flooding in Manipur and other north eastern states by the unchecked deforestation in the hills areas colliding with the impact of global warming.

Analysts agree that there is sharp decline in the reserved forest area in the state.

No physical fruitful result has been seen in the efforts of the forest department as increase in the practice of shifting cultivation in the hill areas which is directly related with the reduction of forest cover area in the state has been observed in the last few years.

The new project will be concentrated in abandoned jhumland where the Jhumias are very poor with less availability of infrastructure for marketing of agriculture produce, official source said.

It added that the project envisage to increase the income of Jhumias families by providing alternative means and to discourage them from large scale destruction of forest areas.

The project will benefit and suatain the poor Jhumias by way of employment in plantation works, increase their family income, reduce deforestation area, to conserve soil and water thereby increasing soil fertility.

The Jhumia family will be provided awareness training, formation of self help group etc., the draft project proposal said adding that it will also envisage to improve the village roads/bridges etc.

and safe drinking water suplly system by way of creating rain water harvesting tanks and others, etc.

The project component includes, afforestation nursery, advance work plantation and maintenance, agro-forestry, soil and water conservation (bamboo, water harvesting structures, brush wood spur and fencing), human resource development (training, seminar, workshop etc.), mivro-planning (preparation of village resource map, PRA exercise etc.), monitoring and evaluation, etc.

The project will be implemented by forest divisions of the forest departments, soil conservation division, social forestry divisions in the five hills districts of the state, the source said.

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