To save timber, Ukhrul for adequate LPG supply
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 29 2012: With a view to save ecology and environment, people of Ukhrul district have suggested the Government to incorporate provision of adequate cooking gas to people of hill districts in the State Action Plan for Climate Change.

The same suggestion was put forward during a consultative workshop held today at Ukhrul district headquarters.

This was the second district level consultative workshop organised to collect suggestions and opinions before framing the State Action Plan for Climate Change.

The workshop jointly organised by the Directorate of Environment and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) was attended by village chiefs, district level officers, NGOs, church leaders and representatives of women organisations.

The villagers suggested provision of adequate cooking gas through greater number of agencies in hill districts so that hill people can switch over to cooking gas from firewood.

This would certainly go a long away in checking the scale of deforestation, they asserted.

They went on to suggest that capacity building programmes be organised after formulating master plans for each and every village so that the action plan can be implemented without technical difficulties.

Taking up certain model initiatives at some selected villages would inspire other villages to follow the same path.

Moreover, it would be highly beneficial to environment as well as the villagers if the villagers are informed about biogas.

They further conveyed their desire to build all Government offices in future without timber.

Joy, a resident of Poi village which is located close to Myanmar border in Ukhrul district said that Poi village practises only terraced cultivation.

There is no jhum cultivation.

Saying that water is available aplenty, Joy opined that terraced cultivation being practised there can be made more productive if irrigation infrastructure is provided to the village.

Even in this cyber age, Poi villagers have been depending on pine splinters for lighting their homes at night, he informed while appealing to all concerned to enable Poi villagers do away with the ancient tradition.

The NGOs which took part in the workshop urged the authorities concerned to incorporate eco-tourism and water harvesting projects in the State Action Plan.

Research Officer, Directorate of Environment Dr Brajakumar stated that window period of malaria carrier mosquitoes have been elongated in the State because of the ever-rising temperature.

By 2020/30, mosquitoes may become a daily nuisance round the year.

He also mentioned that 2011 was recorded as the hottest year in the history of Earth.

Senior journalist Irengbam Arun also spoke about the changing climate and its impacts.

TKS president Yangmi proposed that the suggestions made by the villagers be adopted as recommendations of the workshop.

However, officials and media persons who went to cover the workshop had to find another hotel as the first hotel where they went in could not cook food due to non-availability of water.

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