Environmental impact? : Shirui Lily grows shorter, most plants bear single flower
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, May 27 2024: Shirui Lily is blooming in full on the slopes of Kashong peak, but the plants are shorter and mostly bear only one flower.

This was noticed when a ten member team of Ukhrul based journalists conducted a study on the Manipur State flower and its habitat to raise awareness on climate change and its impact on Shirui Lily.

"The journalistic research on the growth of Shirui Lily, the State flower of Manipur vis a vis climate change" was led by District Information Officer (DIO) of Ukhrul, RS Wungkhan.

The team witnessed maximum Shirui lilies (Kashongwon) blooming on the western and northern slopes of the Kashong peak.

However, most of the plants were found to be growing shorter than normal.

The height of most plants were between 1 and 1.2 feet and the tallest was 1.4 ft short with seven flowers in the deep woods.

Shirui Lily, locally called "Shirui Kashongwon" thrives in the high altitude of the Kashong mountain.

Shirui villagers said the peak of Kashong usually receives rain most of the time, and is covered with thick clouds throughout the year which help Shirui Lilies thrive in the high altitude.

A villager said the flower needs a lot of water to grow healthy.

Shirui Lily sprouts in early March and blooms in mid May, and it needs sufficient water during this season.

The flowering/blooming period lasts longer when it receives sufficient and regular rain.

The peak blooming period is between May 14 and May 25.The Ukhrul media team witnessed most of the lilies withered, a state the team suspect is because of shortened flower life.

The team experienced a chilly weather with thick clouds, but no rain.

What was striking was that the plants on average were stunted/shorter than last year and most bore only one flower.

Maximum lilies were seen growing on the western slope of Kashong where trenches were dug out to prevent expansion of an invasive bamboo-like plant known as Maram, native to the Kashong mountain.

The surrounding of the slope was densely covered with undergrowth of Maram.

Maram, as the locals call it, poses a serious threat to Shirui Lily, said villagers.

"Maram poses a significant threat to the survival of the rare and endangered flower.

The bamboo like plants are deep rooted and they spread rapidly.

It invades areas where lilies grow and inhibits the flower from propagating," said a villager.

Another villager said the uncontrolled spread of Maram plant has drastically diminished the habitat of the lilies and affected the flower's growth.

"The natural habitat of the flower is shrinking due to the invasive Maram plants," he said.

Traditionally, villagers used the control method of burning the forest on the lower mountain slope to control the invasion.

However, after this was restricted, the invasive bamboo like plant has spread and attacked the Lily's habitat, he added.

The Shirui Youth Club, noting the threat posed by the invasive plant, suspended the restriction in 2023.According to the SYC, the traditional method of managing the forest by burning the lower slope of the mountain is effective in controlling the invasive bamboo-like plants.

It said the burning of the mountain slope in January doesn't affect the Shirui Lily.

SYC noted, "Burning the mountain slopes during January does not affect the Shirui Lily as its roots are beneath the soil during the period".

"We will continue the practice of burning at the right time to balance, control, manage, and protect the environment and surroundings of the beautiful lily," SYC said.

The SYC is also replanting lily seeds during the spring season.

Its initiative of transplanting the flower has been successful in the lower ridge of Shongrei peak.

The Shirui hill range in Ukhrul is a hotspot of biodiversity and is under serious threats by climate change, illegal felling of trees and burning of forest.

Forests play an indispensable role in mitigating climate change by trapping carbon-dioxide and maintaining temperature, maintaining soil health and nutrients.

Anthropogenic activities, large scale deforestation for logging, cutting of slope for construction of roads and other economic activities have enhanced ecosystem and environmental degradation in the Ukhrul range.

These activities may have caused the top layer of the Kashong peak to rapidly wear away and lose its soil that previously contained high organic matters that provide nutrients for the flower.

The mushrooming of saw mills in Ukhrul district for timber extraction needs to be regulated in time, said a villager.

Forest depletion in the Shirui hill range has serious implications for the whole populace of Ukhrul and beyond.

The Shirui mountain acts as water reservoirs and supply water to Ukhrul District Headquarters from 3 springs - Shinguira, Kokti and Yangui Kong.

Uncontrolled and rampant deforestation has parched the springs and as a result Ukhrul is frequently witnessing severe water scarcity during the dry season.

The disturbances and destruction of Shirui hill range is likely to cause unwarranted extinction of the lily and water crisis in the town in the coming decades.

Mitigating these unwanted impacts of climate change/global warming calls for urgent action to preserve the Shirui range including the Kashong mountain.

The Tangkhul community has a strong traditional belief that Shirui Kashong is an indicator for success or failure of crops yearly.

A proper snowing or hailstorm occurring in the beginning of the year indicates a good harvest.

Notably, the Shirui Village Authority in 2017 empowered the Shirui Kashong Area Forest Land Owners Conservancy (SKAFLOC) to conserve Kashong hill range that falls within its jurisdiction to check rapid environmental degradation.

Altogether 48 land owners of Shirui village have dedicated their forest land in the areas surrounding Shirui Kashong measuring roughly 109 square kilometres.

The forest land to be conserved for Shirui Lily expands from the extreme northern border to Phangrei, from Ngayei Sira border to Mapum village in the east, and cover Razik Kong, Ngalei Marou, Khorum bordering Khangkhui, Choithar and Langdang areas in the south.

The Shirui village, in a move to conserve biodiversity of Shirui peak, has imposed a total ban on the hunting of animals and birds.

Legends say that Shirui Lily is the daughter of goddess Philava who resides and protects the hills of Shirui.

The flower is light pinkish white in colour having peculiar features that make her famous across the globe of her unique beauty.

It grows on the high altitude of Shirui mountain at an elevation of 1730-2590 metres above sea level.

Reaching the high altitude of the mountain takes at least three hours of climb.

The climb on the rough terrain is wearisome but rewarding and refreshing because of the greenery of the mountain range and the majestic beauty of the Shirui Lily.

The hill ridges at Shongra, Sarum Kateng and Shongrei are areas where one can enjoy serene natural beauty and refreshing wind breeze.

In depth study of the plant behaviour and its habitat is required.

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

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