Imphal, June 07: Of late environment issue has become the house-hold talks, thanks to the activists, the World Environment Day managed to catch the attention even in the rural areas of Manipur, atleast this year.

Laikot Chajang village under Sardar Hills observed on Thursday the World Environment Day organised by World Vision India, Sardar Hills ADP with more than 200 villagers participated in the programme.

The villagers were explained by the experts on the need to protect the environment.

Dr U Chaoba Singh, Professor of the Department of Horticulture, Central Agriculture University, Imphal, World Vision CDC L Michael Singh, social worker Paominthang Suantak and others spoke on the occasion.

Harping on the need to plant more trees/plants so as to make our environment healthy, Dr U Chaoba encouraged the villagers to grow more decorative flowers and vegetables which will kill two birds with one stone.

Elucidating his point, the botanical scholar said that planting more flowers and vegetables will not only improve the economy but will also save our ailing environment.

Dr Chaoba advised the villagers to make this practice a commercial one so that it works as a mechanism to keep on working with interest towards the betterment of our environment.

L Michael Singh, who is currently the CDC of World Vision, Sardar Hills ADP dwelt on the issue of global warming.

He lamented that even the green hills of Manipur have become barren these days which is a bleak sign.

L Michael Singh said that since the number of trees are fast decreasing in the hills, we are bound to have acute water scarcity problem in the near future which will be very difficult to solve by authority.

He pointed out that rivers and ponds will get dried soon and "so in order to prevent this catastrophe, let us plant more trees and save ourselves".

Social worker Paominthang Suantak highlighted the statistical figure of the declining graph of forest in India and Manipur.

He also taught the villagers the method of planting trees.

The villagers' reaction was awesome as this programme, which was first of its kind for them, was an eye opener.

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