CM inaugurates 'Spring Water Harvesting' units
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 03 2021:
Chief Minister N Biren Singh virtually inaugurated three Spring Water Harvesting units, one each at Mongjam village of Imphal East, Kameng and Lamdeng villages of Imphal West District in a solemn function held at Chief Minister's Secretariat today.
The units are funded by the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, Kolkata and implemented by the Central Forest Division, Forest Department, Government of Manipur.
The MoU for the project was signed on January 30, 2021 between the ICICI Foundation and the Divisional Forest Officer, Central Forest Division and commenced on March 2, 2021, said the State Forest Department in a statement.
The cost of each unit is Rs 10 lakh, it said.
The Forest Department, through various State and Centrally sponsored schemes, has been taking up interventional measures to improve the catchment/watershed areas in the State and on seeing the improving general health of Langol Reserve Forest on the western part, it has been tapping spring water emanating due to appropriate recharge by existing forest and providing provide drinking water to the local people especially at Lamdeng area through two units throughout the year, it said.
Experiencing the overwhelming response from the local people towards protection of forest after the installation of the spring water harvesting units at the Langol Reserve Forest, the Divisional Forest Officer, Central Forest Division and State Forest Department approached the ICICI Foundation to support the noble venture under their Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme, it said.
After conducting site visits and witnessing the service provided by such units, ICICI Foundation readily accepted the request and executed an MoU to fund and support three units which were inaugurated today, it said.
The three units will be providing water, especially drinking water to approximately 300 households, it added.
With the new three units, there are five such units operational today, four in the Langol Reserve Forest and one in the Heingang Reserve Forest, the State Forest Department continued.
It is also reported that in areas where such units are installed, occurrence of forest fire, illegal felling and excavation of hill earth are almost nil.
Such situations can be the most appropriate example for sustainable and inclusive forest management practices.
Henceforth, the units shall be maintained by the water user groups under the supervision of the forest field staff, it added.
Speaking at the inaugural function, the CM opined that the project will encourage the villagers to protect nearby forests from fire, encroachments, illegal felling etc.
as denuding the forests would mean affecting water availability.
He also stated that the concept shall enable the Government to facilitate sustainable forestry with active participation of the local people, it said.
The Department also quoted the CM as saying, "This will also contribute in moving forward towards attaining Sustainable Development Goals in consonance with the National and State Action Plan on Climate Change.
The fragile ecosystem of the State requires implementation of such noble projects for the following two reasons, sustainable forest management and providing uninterrupted and perennial water for drinking and other activities to the villagers even during lean winter season" .
The Chief Minister also appealed to the villagers to judiciously use the facility and manage it under proper supervision of the local forest field staff, it said.
The Chief Minister also thanked the ICICI Foundation for inclusive growth for choosing Manipur for such projects, it said.
The virtual inaugural function was attended by Awangbow Newmai, Minister Forests, Environment and Climate Change, MH Khan, Addl Chief Secretary and AK Joshi, PCCF and HoFF, Manipur, it continued.