Keibul Lamjao, March 14, 2010: State's environmentalists have demanded a national policy for the conservation of the rare brow antlered deer or Sangai and its habitat Keibul Lamjao, the country's only floating national park.

Dr RK Ranjan, state coordinator of Bombay Nature Historical Society (BNHS) said this while speaking at a day-long state forest department's wildlife wing sponsored media sensitization workshop for wildlife conservation here at Keibul Lamjao,around 50 km south of state capital Imphal in Bishnupur district today.

The noted environmentalist also urged the concerned authorities undertake a short term and immediate necessary steps for eco-restoration process for the threatened animal by making a vision 2020. "Keibul Lamjao National park should be rise to the status of world heritage site besides initiating a forum for people,public and government to mobilize and sensitize the general population on the endangered species and other flora and fauna of the park�, he added.

Another prominent environmentalist Dr Kh Shamungou Singh sharing a similar sentiment while speaking on environment awareness through media said,� If the exploitation rate of our environment continues in the present trend, 50 percent of the state's existing biodiversity resources may disappear in the region�.

Even as the forest officials are trying to tighten their belts, Dr Shamungou informed that alien biological species including the exotic fish species has started to replace the endemic fishes of the state which has more than 230 species.

The environmentalists also urged the concerned officials to do the needful to control the report of smuggling orchids and ginseng varieties available in the hills of Manipur to China through porous Indo-Myanmar border.

"We're told that some villagers in Chandel have been regularly selling locally grown orchids to China through Myanmar�, Dr RK Ranjan, state coordinator of Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) said.

"This commonly available Dendrobium family orchids were used for making a typical beer in China�, Dr Ranjan informed.These orchid variety was grown wild in some hill ranges of Chandel district bordering Myanmar.

Orchids like Dendrobium moschatum and Dendrobium Denudas were also grown in the hills of Chandel, Ukhrul and Senapati districts, Rajkumar Kishor,a post-doctoral fellow of the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) in Imphal told this correspondent when contacted over telephone.

Similarly there are also reports of smuggling some medicinal plants including three ginseng varieties to the same destination for making medicines, Ranjan further added though he didn't specify the orchid variety.

However it seems ,the state forest department is yet to find out a detailed information about such illegal activities across the border.

"We'll find out through our concerned officials for further action�, L Joykumar, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Park and sanctuary division) said when enquired.

He added that Manipur's forest officials have been facing certain difficulties while implementing some Forest Acts and regulation in reality to control illegal activities in the region.

Comment