Structural projects destroying aged trees worries environmentalist
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 10 2021: Amidst the government's on-going campaigns for reforestation and conservation of environment in the state to fight the climate change and its impact, many aged trees are being uprooted, all in the name of development.

Dozens of decades old trees including a 300 years old Peepal tree which was growing in Wangbal Khongnangkhong, Khangabok had been ripped out to construct Trans Asian High way (Indo Myanmar road, NH-102) .

A photo of an elderly woman crying upon seeing the aged Peepal tree about to be axed went viral on social media.

Subsequently, netizens decried over such action of the government destroying aged trees instead of finding alternatives to develop the road.

It is reported that some elders of the locality urged not to uproot the aged tree because of its significance but their pleas went blatantly unheeded on the grounds of being a central project.

Speaking to The People's Chronicle, Centre for Research and Advocacy secretary Jiten Yumnam lamented over felling down of trees including old Peepal tree aged over 30 decades for constructing Trans Asian Highway.

He said that trees particularly the aged ones have historic and cultural significance in the state.

Any development activities need to seek alternatives that will not harm the natural ecosystem, he stressed, while citing example of how Pureiromba Khongnang (peepal) even though it is growing in a congested area was not axed during the road development works.

Nature and development need to be balanced, he pointed out.

Jiten enquired whether there isn't any other alternative than uprooting the trees.

There are enough spaces and a road need not be straight all the time, he reasoned, adding: "One needs to understand significance and contribution of aged trees".

The fundamental principle of development in the state seems to be to construct or built by destroying and bulldozing everything in their way without considering the importance of nature.

Forest department has been planting trees but they get uprooted when there is any developmental project.

It seems that there is no proper planning.

Trees need to be planted at proper place with a long vision so that it will not stymie in development activities in future.

There is no use of plantation if it has to be uprooted in future for developmental purpose, he explained.When any projects came in the state in the name of development, people have been raising their voices for a long time to find alternatives while taking up developmental activities that will not harm the nature.

In developed countries like Japan, aged trees are not axed as it is considered as revered.

So, they transplant it in another place if the trees hinder in developmental projects, he pointed out, while lamenting that the government and the department concerned continue to cut down centuries old trees as if they were valueless inspite of the authorities pitching for a Green Manipur.

Jiten opined that government should have proper planning while taking up developmental projects so that the environment is not harm.

In any developmental programmes, the government needs to find alternatives that will preserve the environment and attain the goal of the development without harming the people, he added.

It is evident that numerous fully grown trees have been chopped down to make way for developmental projects on one hand, while the government continues its campaigns for protecting the same on the other, thus, making their efforts futile.

Comment