CAIM seeks Govt's help in safeguarding plants at Karpur Sungba village
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 30 2020: Centre for Alternative and Integrative Medicine (CAIM) has sought the Government's help in safeguarding the trees and medicinal plants in its plot of land at Karpur Sungba village.

Addressing media persons in a press meet held at Manipur Press Club today, the general secretary of CAIM, Yambem Mangi stated that they have taken a plot of land in Karpur Sungba village on lease from an individual named Sani Mao since July 31, 2006.On this plot of land, CAIM has been planting and nurturing trees and various sorts of medicinal plants with the sole aim of protecting the environment.

However the villagers burn down the trees frequently and at times cut down the trees and steal them.

CAIM reported such incidents to the police and have.negotiated on many occasions.

But amid this difficult time of COVID some miscreants have burned down the trees on a large scale continuously for five days in March.

Also several big trees have been cut as well, it added.

There is also a pine tree forest where many huge trees grow but recently they received an information on November 15 that many trees have been cut and on inspecting they found that around 183 pine trees were cut.

Regarding this incident they filed a report to the Forest Department and Irilbung Police Station and named Keisham Ingocha (45 years) from Chanam Sandrok Mamang Leikai behind this act.

A case is still ongoing in Irilbung PS for the same which has not been solved yet.

Amid all these the police have informed the probability of trees being cut continuously on November 28.Acting on this they visited the spot and found out that around 12 huge trees were cut.

It was reported to the Forest Department of Thoubal and a team of forest officials visited on the said day.

The DFO Thoubal instructed its staff to pick up the cut trees and some staff of CAIM went to the spot.

An armed person along with another person came to the spot and started firing and overpowered the forest personnel and chased them away fro the spot.

The incident was reported to the Irilbung PS and the members of CAIM were stranded on a place around half kilometres away from the spot waiting for the police.

During this around 10 villagers led by the armed person came and started beating the members badly.

Till now there is no report of arresting the main persons involved namely Chanam Ibomcha and Chanam Deepak from Chanam Sandrok who are brothers.

CAIM has been relentlessly working on protecting the environment though the villagers are not cooperative at all in this initiative.

Instead they burn and cut down the trees degrading the environment.

Therefore CAIM appealed to the environment lovers to support CAIM and urged the State Government to help them else it will become a tedious task in safeguarding the environment.

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