Foundation calls for setting up Heritage Park at Keibul Lamjao
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 02 2022:
Sangai Trust Foundation, Keibul Lamjao has appealed to the chief minister to develop the proposed Eco-Tourism and Ethnic Cultural Heritage Park at Keibul Lamjao's only grazing ground to promote eco-tourism as well as to facilitate income generation opportunities for people living in the surrounding area.
In a release, Foundation's managing trustee Salam Prasanta Singh stated that the only option for improving livelihood of locals of Keibul Lamjao is through promotion of eco-tourism while setting up of the proposed Park project will help reduce conflict between biodiversity conservation and livelihood activities of the locals along with the biotic pressure on the Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) as well as helping in conservation of the endangered Sangai deer species.
The Foundation also cited a report of the Wild Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun based on its 'socioeconomic' study carried from 2006-09, that 34-71 per cent of yearly income of people of Keibul Lamjao is generated from extracting biomass from KLNP.
The report further mentioned that out of the total plant species extracted from the park by the people of Keibul Lamjao almost 43 per cent are food sources for Sangai, it noted.
Hence, to decrease the rate of human influx into the park for livelihood and to create income generation avenues by promoting eco-tourism, the government and especially chief minister N Biren should look into the Eco-Tourism and Ethnic Cultural Heritage Park project and establish the park at Keibul Lamjao in Consideration of the problems faced by locals, it further urged.