Khamatek launches campaign to revive aquatic life in Tilily stream
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, December 20 2024: Green activists of Khamatek, an Ukhrul based environmental movement, have launched a campaign to revitalise rivers and aquatic life.

With the overall objective to preserve Shamphung Block in Kamjong as an eco-friendly region and save river ecosystems, the green activists released trout fingerlings in the waters at Tilily - the State's second highest waterfall situated near Phungtha, a hamlet of Khayang village.

Under the banner "River, Water and Fishes vital to life", the Khamatek team scaled the waterfall at 754 feet near Indo-Myanmar border, some 95 kilometres from Ukhrul District Headquarters to release the trout fingerlings.

According to locals, the water in the upper stream has no fish as a steep cliff downstream before it joins with Sana Lok (a major river) is believed to be obstructing fishes from moving upstream.

The Khamatek team released 27 Himalayan Trout ((Schizothorax richardsonii) fingerlings into the Tilily stream.

The trout fingerlings were collected by the team from Chamu-Khayang and Kachouphung rivers with the help of local fishermen and Chamu village headman, Wungshim Kasar.

Dr Rimai, a medical officer stationed at Tribal Health Centre, Chamu and Reisingam Shaiza, president of Sambu Raiping Katamnao Long (SRKL) were part of the campaign, jointly organised and sponsored by Khamatek, Ukhrul and social worker Pamreiso Shimray, a prominent journalist.

"When I first visited the area in the year 2020, the locals told me about the story that there were no fish in the upper stream.

Since then, I have been making efforts to do something and release fingerlings in the stream.

The objective is to revitalise aquatic life of the Tilily water," said Pamreiso Shimray.

The Khamatek team said the release of the fingerlings into the stream would not be a onetime effort.

The mission will continue for years to come, they said.

"We will make every effort until our dream is fulfilled.

We also appeal to the locals and tourists visiting the areas to contribute something to enhance the biodiversity of Tilily waterfall," said M Zimik, secretary of Khamatek.

The hilly streams in the areas of Chamu, Khayang, Phungtha and Kachouphung are known for their fresh cold water, which is a favourite habitat for Himalayan Trout, Silver Mahseer and certain other ornamental species of fishes.

All these streams originate from the mountainous range of Khayangphung, the second highest peak of Manipur at the height of 2833 metres.

The highest peak in Manipur is Mount Tenipu in Senapati district.

The Khayangphung range is also considered the densest forest in Ukhrul and Kamjong area.

There are two major rivers of Kamjong district, Sana Lok and Namban Lok - which are tributaries of the Chindwin river in Myanmar.

Both the rivers originate from Sahamphung areas and they are suspected to hold the highest number of fish species in Manipur.

The Sahamphung region, which is considered as the most backward in terms of development, has a pristine nature with rich flora and fauna.

Species including the endangered Hoolock Gibbon, Blythe Tragopan, Wild Bison, Leopard, Clouded Leopard are found in the surrounding mountainous ranges.

The Khayangphung mountain ranges are also home to various migratory birds like Grey Sighted Thrust, locally known as Shiri and the Amur Falcons.

Wungshim Kasar, headman of Chamu village, said the team effort should be appreciated and supported by the people in the areas.

"Land, water and forest are ours.

Mother nature belongs to all of us.

We must encourage any step to conserve, preserve or enhance our resources," he asserted.

In the next tour, the Khamatek team said they would make an effort to collect more indigenous species of fishes and release them into the Tilily stream.

The team said the visit would come in the spring or summer.

SRKL president, Reisingam Shaiza assured support to the team and said it would also take all efforts to revitalise aquatic lives in the Tilily water.

Isolated and covered with dense rainforest, the villages in Sahamphung Block have bad road connectivity and rough terrain.

Located at the extreme Indo-Myanmar border, Sahamphung Block has an open animal corridor which attracts people from urban areas to come to hunt.

The locals said the number of many wild animals have dwindled due to hunting.

Some locals said the villages in the region should implement regulatory measures to safeguard the wild animals.

During the campaign, the Khamatek team also noticed people extracting large timbers from the dense forest.

Facing economic hardships, the rural dwellers have been compelled to cut gigantic trees in the region and trade the timbers for income, said some locals.

Deeply concerned, the Khamatek team members expressed that the Government should intervene in time to save the forest.

This article was written under the initiative of Ukhrul District Working Journalists Association (UDWJA) and the Directorate of Environment & Climate Change', Govt of Manipur .

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