Lessons from Shirui Lily Festival 2019
Embrace Shirui Lily; expand roads in Ukhrul town to ease traffic
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, October 29 2019: The recently concluded Shirui Lily Festival, celebrated with extravaganza fanfare, showcased and exhibited the beauty and uniqueness of the flower attracting huge visitors from across the country and foreign tourists.

The four-day festival featured dance, food, music, traditional games and promoted the beautiful Shirui Lily, the flower that is found only in Shirui, Ukhrul, Manipur.

In Tangkhul local dialect, the lily is called Kashong Timrawon, named after the daughter of mythical Goddess Philava who resides and protects the hills of Shirui.

The State Government declared Shirui Lily as the State flower in 1989, following which in 2017, CM N Biren Singh declared the festival a State level event.

Although the State Government pumped in crores of rupee through Tourism Department for the celebration in order to promote eco-tourism and the flower, the reality was that no visible activity was arranged during the festival to create awareness on preservation and protection of the unique flower.

Even as the festival was getting much wider reach, there was apparently no attempt to widen the roads in the town that lead to Shirui village.

Though the Ukhrul Police had issued separate traffic rules and regulations ahead of the celebration, it was poorly implemented.

The main town road was declared one way but due to the pathetic and deplorable condition of eastern and western circular roads, there were heavy traffic and had chocked the town during the festival.

As Ukhrul will continue to host the event in future, for it is home to the Shirui Lily, the town roads needs to be expanded at earliest.

Eastern and western circular roads have to be revamped and metalled for all weather road so that accidents and traffic congestions may be avoided.

Last but most important, Government and all stakeholders should work at their best levels to mitigate climate change and check forest fire to protect the Shirui Lily habitat.

Shirui Lily is also losing its ground to a bamboo species which is encroaching on its habitat.

Authorities concerned should keep a close watch on all threats to save this unique flower besides promoting it with extravagant festival.

Shirui Lily should be embraced and all must take equal responsibility to protect and promote it.

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