SC orders eviction of Langol encroachers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 03 2010: The Supreme Court has directed the State Government to evict encroachers from Langol Reserve Forest area, which is the lung of Imphal city.

On the other hand, without the permission of the Department concerned, an officer of the State Government has allegedly carried out road cutting and laid bitumen inside the Langol Reserve Forest area.

According to an official source from the Forest and Environment Department, the Supreme Court has given the instruction to the State Government to evict all the encroachers from the Langol Reserve Forest area which has been playing an important role in regulating the climate of Imphal city.

Though the State Cabinet had earlier taken a decision to the effect of evicting the encroachers, the State Government has been lacking political will to implement it in view of the fact that there are politicians and police officers among these encroachers.

However, following the directive of the apex court, the State Government would not have any option but to carry out an eviction drive.

A religious place constructed at Langol Reserved Forest area

The State Government would be discussing the order of the Supreme Court at the highest level, the source added.

The total area of land that have been encroached upon in Langol Reserve Forest on Sadar Hills West range side is said to be around 53.58 hectares while it is 23.31 hectares on Sadar Hill East range with the total number of encroachers said accounted at 524 on Sadar Hills West side and 98 on Sadar Hills East side.

When The Sangai Express went to conduct a spot inspection, it was found that one of the top police officers has carried out road cutting work and laid bitumen on a hillock located close to the Manipur Zoological Garden, which is a part of the Langol Reserve Forest.

It was learnt that the said police officer had not taken any permission from the State Forest Department in connection with the road cutting work and tarring of the road.

Although there is strict statutory provision that prevents the Government from de-reserving any part of reserve forest area for construction and other developmental works, implementation of schemes and projects by the Government from time to time has been definitely having its impact on the reserve forest land areas.

Encroachment of Langol Reserve Forest and increasing deforestation have also led to frequent flooding in Lamphelpat area after every shower.

After the Government of Manipur declared Langol as a reserve forest land in 1933, there has been no improvement in the condition of the forest.

According to environmental activist Dr RK Ranjan, protection of reserve forest area is a must as it would help in regulating the climate condition.

However, reserving only 100 acres of area for storing rain water in Lamphelpat is not sufficient.

Atleast 500 to 600 acres of area should be set aside for the purpose, he opined.

The encroachment in Langol reserve forest is not the only problem of encroachment in reserve forest land in Manipur.

Among the existing reserve forest land, 5.95 hectare of land in Heingang reserve forest, 68.44 hectares in Nongmaiching reserve forest, 20.80 hectares in Khamenlok-Gwaltabi reserve forest and 3.77 hectares in Chinkheiching reserve forest have already been encroached upon by the land sharks.

According to a report published by the Ministry of Environment and Forest yesterday, the total forest area of Manipur which was 17,475 sq km in 1987 has been reduced to 17,280 sq km by 2009, thus registering a loss of 195 sq km of forest land in the intervening period.