Efforts on to increase forest cover
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR
Imphal, May 30 2016 :
Forest Department Manipur has taken up plantation of over 154358 ha of forest areas to increase the forest cover, to rehabilitate jhum lands and meet the requirement of timber, firewood and fodder.
The plantation includes 48523 ha of fringe areas planted under the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) through decentralize mechanism of Joint Forest Management (JFM).
The total number of Joint Forest Management Committee till date has risen to an impressive figure of 726 .
The Department has been implementing several schemes and projects both under State Plan and Centrally sponsored schemes to meet the challenging task of afforestation, soil and water conservation, wildlife and biodiversity conservation, etc to achieve sustainable development and utilization of the State's Forests and associated natural resources.
Under National Bamboo Mission (NBM) 23724 ha of Forest and Non-Forest areas have been covered under bamboo plantation.
During the period of 12th Finance Commission Award (2004-05 to 2009-10) a total of 17250 ha of plantation was carried out and under 13th Finance Commission Award, 39256 ha of plantation has been taken up during the period (2010-2015).18205 ha of Forest land has been brought under plantation during the last 15 fifteen years.
The infrastructure creation of construction of 25 watch towers, construction of 26 range offices, construction of 34 beat offices, construction of 41 barrack type quarters, construction of 9 residential quarters for field level officials, three storey office building at Mantripukhri Forest Complex, one storey rest house at Mantripukhri Forest Complex, Modern Tissue Culture Laboratory at Mantripukhri Forest Complex, Modern Departmental Saw Mill and Central Timber Depot at Sawombung, an Interpretation Centre & Tourism facilities at Orchid Preservation Centre, Khonghampat has been made under various schemes.
In order to strengthen the infrastructure of Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), one Range Office cum chowkidar quarter, one check post each at Keibul hill and Chingmei hill of KLNP have been constructed.
For construction of Sangai Rescue Centre, 7.95 Ha land has been acquired at Keibul.
The Department has also taken up all possible measures by organizing awareness programmes and patrolling with members of local clubs and police to protect the waterbirds visiting from different parts of the globe for feeding in the wetlands of Manipur.
The Forest Department has established Botanical Garden Complex, Arboretum at Langol Reserve Forest and Herbal Garden at Raj Bhavan.
Tissue Culture laboratory at Mantripukhri has also been set up.
In addition active initiatives are being made for setting up of a Manipur Forest Research Institute.
Further two projects on "Production and testing of Banslochan" and : Micropopagation of some of the destructively harvested medicinal plants of Manipur through Tissue Culture for their multiplication, field trial and conservation" have been approved by the National Medicinal Plant Board.
In collaboration with the Green India Mission Directorate, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Govt of India, New Delhi, Forest Department, Manipur formulated a Perspective Plan and Annual Action Plan for 2015-16 and they have been approved by the Government of India.
The Perspective Plan has a target to treat 42471 ha forest land with a cost of 15730.16 lakh in eight years from 2015-16 to 2022-23 .
During 2015-16, 12700 ha of forest land is targeted for treatment with an outlay of Rs 2023.33 lakh.
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