Purul community unites to revive Michelia Champaca forests
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, June 21 2025: In a landmark environmental initiative, the Hiiduna Council (Purul), in collaboration with the Senapati Forest Division, launched a massive plantation drive during the Mahotsav celebration, aimed at restoring the declining population of Michelia champaca - locally known as Chasii.

The campaign, held under the banner "Ek Ped Maa Ki Naam/Plant4Mother", saw the active participation of the Hiiduna community.

Thousands of saplings were planted across Purul Forest, with individuals and families planting on their own lands to ensure better survival rates.

Once a dominant tree species in the region, Michelia champaca has seen a dramatic decline due to decades of unchecked logging and timber extraction.

The initiative seeks to reverse this trend by reintroducing the species to its native habitat and promoting long-term conservation efforts.

To encourage sustained care of the saplings, the Hiiduna Council has introduced a reward scheme for individuals or households whose plants survive.

The trees will be regularly monitored for health and growth by forest officials and community volunteers.

Speaking at the event, Thoho Thomas, a representative of the Hiiduna Council, emphasised the cultural and ecological importance of the species.

"Michelia champaca once filled our forests with golden blossoms and a fragrance that lingered in the air.

Today, it is rare.

This drive is our community's effort to bring back that lost beauty," he said, highlighting the ecological impact of the loss of Champaca trees, particularly on bird species like the laughing thrush.

Thomas said that such birds feed on the fruit of the Champaca and aid its regeneration through seed dispersal.

He, however, noted that with the decline of these trees, the thrush population has also dwindled, further affecting the tree s natural regeneration.

"It s a symbiotic relationship - a natural harmony that we must restore before it becomes just a memory" .

Purul Atongba village chairman Danii Victor extolled the vision of the community's ancestors in preserving nature and called on the present generation to follow their example.

"We are privileged to live in such a pristine environment because our elders understood the value of conservation.

Now, it is our responsibility to carry that legacy forward - for ourselves and for generations to come" .

He further commended the Hiiduna Council and Senapati Forest Division for taking such a proactive step and thanked the villagers for their enthusiastic cooperation and commitment to environmental protection.

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