Minister Biswajit calls for poppy-free news in 2025
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 30 2024: Calling upon all concerned to stop poppy cultivation in the hill areas so to minimise threat posed to the environment, Forest, Environment and Climate Change minister Thongam Biswajit has urged for collective efforts to achieve a goal of no reports or incidents of poppy destruction in 2025 .

The minister made the appeal while attending the release function of the annual Environment Calendar 2025 of the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change (DE&CC) at the auditorium of the Directorate on Monday.

The function was attended by Environment & Climate Change director Dr T Brajakumar and other officials.

"The state has not been spared from global warming, caused by development activities and environmental degradation.

One of the main causes of this condition in the state's context is the clearing of large expanse of forest areas f or illegal poppy cultivation by some groups of people for self-interests and profits," stated the minister while speaking as chief guest at the function.

To counter this, the government has been utilising available manpower and machinery to destroy the poppies to protect the youth and the society from the influence of drugs and also save the environment, he said.

Urging all concerned to stop planting or growing poppies, the minister remarked that no matter how wealthy a person becomes, he/she cannot take the wealth to the grave.

He then invited suggestions from everyone on possible alternative forms of livelihood and self-employment opportunities, assuring that the government would extend support wherever needed.

Biswajit continued that the government is for the people and cannot function without the support of the masses.

"Although we may belong to different communities and speak different languages, at the end of the day, we are all human beings and as such, should work together for our growth," he stressed.

The minister also urged the people to make positive and constructive criticisms of the government, while adding that negative criticisms would do nothing good except sow discord amongst the people of the state, who arc talented in all aspects.

Regarding the release of the calendar, the minister said that it has been released annually since 2013.The main objective of releasing the same is to disseminate information about related environment events and observances in the global, national and state level as well such as observance of UN's World Wetlands Day, World Earth Day and World Environment Day 2024 and state programmes like development and maintenance of water bodies among others, he informed.

"For this, each state has been given a set of responsibilities to deal with global warming and climate change," he continued, adding that the responsibilities given by the state nodal agency include grant of environmental clearances by State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA); Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for land acquisition; Manipur State Wetlands Authority (MSWA) for conservation of wetlands; River Reju venation Committee (RCC) for rejuvenation of polluted rivers; formulating State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC); and for compliances of NGT Directions.

Biswajit also laid out the Directorate's major targets for the incoming year, such as setting up district level offices and district level environment monitoring cells; completing the State Environment Policy, 2025-2030 and State of Environment Report, 2025; matters related to the on-going climate resilient revival of spring-shed and e-flow of rivers; establishing climate resilient water bodies at Akampat, Jubraj Pali, Takhok, Usoipokpi, Ashei Loklen Matai major ponds, etc.; vetting of notification of important wetlands under Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017 and implementation of Integrated Management Plan (IMP) projects; on-going conservation for four wetlands - Yaral, Jaimcng, Waithou-Phumnom and Utra pat; organise Green Education Programme at institutions for plastic free, green auditing, environment education, green skill development, etc.; and setting up a Green Building office campus at Porompat, Imphal East, for which architectural designers are needed.

Regarding achievements, Biswajit men tioned the completion of SAPCC, Version 2 (2021-2030); Nambul River Rejuvenation Project; sanctioning of Rejuvenation of Imphal Kongba River; NEC's approval of a project on collection of plastics and debris from rivers; publication of 126 stories published, 53 videos, 78 Radio serials/plays, 24 climate change episodes by AIR News Team, 14 Volume of Radio Drama, 5 episodes of DDK programme, 10 video clips, etc., on climate change reporting by media fellows under the Media Resource Centre since 2019 .

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