State finally wakes up to climate change, on paper !
Action Plan on Climate Change drafted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 13 2011: Along with drafting of an Action Plan on Climate Change, the State Government has geared up to combat the challenges posed by climate change in Manipur through eight missions.

On the other hand, predicting acute shortage of water in Manipur as an impact of climate change in the years, Principal Secretary of Public Health Engineering Department W L Hangsing has assured that in event of such a crisis, water from Loktak lake would be utilised to meet the demand of the people.

According to an official source, the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), 2011-2012 has been drafted with the assistance of the Deutsche Gesellschaff Fiir Internationale Zusamonnarbeit, an agency working for Government of Germany in the field of environment.

The draft copy of the Action Plan has been submitted to the State Government.

After its approval by the State Government, it would be send to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for necessary recommendations.

The source disclosed that the draft Action Plan has given focus on promoting understanding of climate change, adaptation, mitigation and natural resource conservation through eight missions namely, State Mission for Ecosystem, State Mission for Agriculture & Allied, State Mission for Health & Security, State Mission for Green Manipur, State Energy Mission, State Mission for Urban Planning and State Mission for Climate change knowledge and & information.

Adaptation challenges by improving the adaptation ability of the public infrastructures and preserving the eco-systems implemented at the State level would be the main focus issues of the State Action Plan.

However, it would be implemented in line with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) for sustainable environmental management including adaptation and mitigation of the climate variable and would address the urgent and critical concerns of the State through a directional approach including enhancement of the current and planned programmes with technical assessments accordingly with the NAPCC, the source further explained.

Disclosing that the first inter-departmental consultative meeting to discuss the role and responsibilities to be taken up by the different departments under the State Government in combating climate challenges was held on April 7 with Additional Chief Secretary PC Lawnkunga in the chair, the source informed that the meeting agreed to form a sectoral working group committee.

In the said meeting, the Project Director of LDA also highlighted decrease in the rate of precipitation from the existing lakes in Manipur on account of climate change, the source added.

Meanwhile, talking to The Sangai Express, Principal Secretary of PHED W L Hangshing has predicted the problem of water scarcity in Manipur is going to be even more grave in the years to come.

In case of a crisis and in the absence of any other alternative, water from Loktak lake would be utilised to meet the demand, the officer said.

Pointing out that most rivers in Manipur today are running dry and the vegetation growth in the hills which are the sources of most of these rivers are scanty, Hangsing observed that it is high time for formulating a State Water Policy as well to address the problem of water scarcity.

It may be pointed out that despite existence of 17 water treatment plants in Imphal area alone, only 70 million litres of water is being able to supply to the people although the requirement of water in Imphal is 101.37 million litre per day.

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