Forest officials encourage encroachers to conserve forest
Source: The Sangai Express
Kakching, March 14 2020:
With an appeal for forest conservation, a team of forest officials visited several houses of encroachers in areas under Waikhong Pine Reserved Forest and Thongam Mondum Reserved Forest today.
Encouraging the encroachers to help conserve the reserved forest areas, N Munal Meitei, Range Forest Officer, Kakching, said the total forest area of the State has shrunk considerably over the years due to human exploitation.
Felling of trees for jhum cultivation, firewoods and poppy cultivation are some of the main reasons for the depleting forest cover, he said appealing the households to help conserve the forest areas.
Explaining the move of approaching each household with the request, he said that they (encroachers) can help guard the forest.
As legal works take time to evacuate or relocate the encroachers, their co-operation in the meantime is needed to conserve the forest areas, he added.
Md Aslam Khan, Deputy Ranger, Forest Beat Officer, Wangoo Lamkhai, N Brojen Singh, FBO Waikhong and Md Salaudin, Deputy Ranger, FBO Pallel and other took part in the visits today.