Phalee village leads the way inforest conservation
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 28 2023:
In a noteworthy move towards environmental conservation, residents of Phalee village in Ukhrul district started an initiative to preserve and develop the forest amid calls for combatting climate change and deforestation.
Phalee is located on the western part of Ukhrul district and about 82 km from Imphal.
One has to take the Mahadev Lamkhai road of Imphal-Ukhrul highway stretch to reach the village though condition of the road is not at its best.
With area of around 68 square kilometres, the village has over 800 households and population of over 8000 .
The main profession of the villagers is agriculture and there is a couple of farmers engaged in integrated farming.
At a time when many of the interior villages of the state are witnessing extensive illegal poppy cultivation, the villagers embarked on a rather praiseworthy initiative.
The village plays a pivotal role in maintaining the natural ecosystem as part of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot.
The annual rainfall in this area ranges between 2000 to 2400 mm.
In 2011, the residents formed Phalee Village Biodiversity Management Committee with the objective to conserve forest.
Under the committee, the villagers are now developing planted forest in some of the areas where they used to practice jhum cultivation.
According to village elder Somi, the initiative is to promote forest conservation as well as to provide income source to the villagers by planting native fruit bearing trees and orchids as well as flowers.
With a civilisation history of around 600 years, the continued effort of the villagers to conserve nature has been blessing the area with a balanced weather pattern.
The air is clean and there is no shortage of water for consumption as well as farming.
The main fruit and crop produces of the village are banana, lemon, orange, olive, pea, sesame, papaya and stink beans.
Cattle and poultry farming are also practiced by some of the villagers while some are engaged in agriculture and pisciculture as well.
The village is also home to over 60 orchid varieties with government school teacher Ng Betterson also running a mini orchidarium where he collects and grows different varieties of orchids.
He also practices beekeeping in his orchid farm and have extensive knowledge on the blooming/fruit bearing season of all types of flowers and fruits in the area.
Five kilometres south of Phalee village lies Natuk Loukol, the origin of Thoubal River.
The area's farmlands exhibit over three centuries-old rock reinforced bunds constructed by forefathers, showcasing remarkable architectural skills.
These bunds not only help in maintaining proper water level for farming but also prevent soil erosion.
There are also several fish ponds among the paddy fields where the farmers rear fish.
Phalee Liuwtoh Phanit, the annual seed sowing festival of the village, is celebrated in mid-March and this year too, the festival was celebrated from March 15 to 20.Folk dances and songs are the main highlights of the festival, during which the villagers celebrate the natural resources as a gift from the God.
Despite facing challenges such as poor road conditions, the villagers are determined to contribute in the fight against climate change and protect their surroundings, and at the same time they are also hoping that the government could improve infrastructure in basic sectors like road, health and education among others.
Phalee village stands as a beacon of sustain able practices and environmental stewardship, setting an example for communities grappling with the dual challenges of climate change and deforestation.