Biswajit visits COSFOM project village in Kangpokpi
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, May 09 2022: Forest, environment and climate change minister Th Biswajit visited COSFOM Project village, Maohing in Kangpokpi district on Sunday.

The minister was accompanied by PCCF and HoFF Dr AK Joshi, along with KfW review team led by project manager Jon Eric Voss, senior sector specialist Sangeeta Agarwal, senior specialist Saravana Kumar, procurement expert Lidiya, CTA-GFA Manohar Shreshtha, ACTA-GFA K Hrishikesh, AO and DFO Thoubal Th Lokendro, and Chinpilhing Kipgen during his visit to Maohmg Village to review the progress of the activities carried out under the project.

Later, he interacted with the water resource conservation group and SHGs members.

Maohing residents also organised a blessing ceremony for the minister while conveying gratitude to the ministerial team as it is the first time for the village to have high profile visitors.

While interacting with the minister, the villagers highlighted the issue of frequent power cuts during the rainy season and appealed for provision of solar lamps for school-going children.

The villagers also thanked the project team for providing employment generation through the project activities during the COVID Pandemic.

The Water Resources Conservation Group chairman also informed that the village is free from poppy cultivation and the village authority is strongly against it.

He continued that the villagers will strive to protect and conserve the forest and environment and bring down the area under jhum cultivation and follow sustainable agricultural practices.

The team later went for a site inspection of the community nursery establishment, and water reservoir tank as part of the EPA and Agroforestry model.

The minister encouraged the villagers to continue the project with full dedication for better results and advised them to set up a vermi-compost unit, including high-value tree crops as well as medicinal plants while urging them to refrain from jhum cultivation and follow agroforestry practices.

He also motivated the villagers to conserve pseudo ginseng which is almost on the verge of extinction in the village with the help of IBSD, Manipur.

It may be recalled, that Maohing village is famous for good quality potato cultivation and a potato festival is held every year in the village during the month of July.

According to the villagers, the village will celebrate the Potato Festival on July 1 where every potato farmer from the village will display their harvest.

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