Border fencing to affect wild life movement: Preshow
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Sobhapati Samom

Kohima, September 25 2013: Manipur's Deputy Speaker Preshow Shimray has expressed his desire to have a forum for policy makers in order to protect the degrading forest and environment for sustainable livelihood of the people in this era of climate change.

He has also expressed serious concerned over the ongoing border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar International boundary which would affected migration of wild life from either side.

Shimray, while speaking to this reporter on the sidelines of the 3-day long sustainable mountain development summit III 2013 which began here at NBB convention hall this afternoon, said the time has come to do the needful in preserving and conserving our eco-system and mountain diversity.

The Deputy Speaker was here at the Nagaland capital to participate in the Indian Himalayan legislators meet session of the Mountain summit where the legislators from 11 Himalayan States of the country including the eight Northeaster States would be discussing various issues including water, forest and agriculture sectors.

The frequent over flowing of Nambul River and subsequent flash flood in Imphal area during rainy season is the sign of heavy siltation.

That means our mountain ecology has been severely affected, said the Deputy Speaker.

"So we need to have proper preservation of forest and systematic cultivation to protect further degradation of our mountains", he added.

Reacting to the report of ongoing border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border, the MLA from Chingai assembly constituency in Manipur's Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar, said that once the fencing comes into existence the seasonal migration of the wild life across the border would entirely be affected.

Many wild animals such as wild boar, hog deer, bear, etc, from Myanmar used to migrate into Manipur territory seasonally and thereby develop different biodiversity in the region.

Manipur Deputy Speaker also observed that the time has come for us to highlight such issues as well in such gatherings where representatives of International bodies and India's Himalayan states attended.

He also expressed the need to preserve the endemic and traditionally available food grains besides addressing the issue of water scarcity and preserving forest in order to have systematic agricultural activities in the hill state.

Otherwise the womenfolk of the region would continue to suffer in search of water in Manipur hills and valley.

Besides, other NGO functionaries, officials from Manipur's environment and ecology department and forest department are also attending the summit which will end on September 27 .

Earlier, braving the heavy rain, the summit was inaugurated by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the presence of Sikkim Lok Sabha MP PD Rai, Nagaland Assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, Ms Lise Grande of UN New Delhi, Ms Janine Kuriger of Switzerland embassy, Dr David Molden of ICIMOD and Ms Helga Fink of GIZ Shillong.

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