Source: Hueiyen News Service / Thingbaijam Dhamen
Imphal, August 19 2010: Indigenous bio-resources, flora and fauna in Manipur are presently at various degrees of threat despite various conservation projects and schemes.
Manipur state falls in the region of Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspots, which is known as one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to rapid exploitation and habitat loss.
A wide diversity of ecosystems is represented in this hotspot, including mixed wet evergreen, dry evergreen and deciduous forests, etc.
Findings of the study of the environment and ecological wing of the Manipur government revealed as a fact that the population of indigenous bio-resources of the state has been diminishing day by day due to lack of popularization, scientific documentation, cataloging and proper environmental planning.
The widespread flora and fauna diversity, a high percentage of endemism in a host of species are presently at various degrees of threat.
Wetland as well as water bodies of the state are being depleted due to developmental programmes and encroachment.
For protection, conservation and regeneration of the flora and fauna, the necessity of conservation of these wetlands and water bodies is seriously felt, it was observed.
Survey, collection, collation, resource and development on indigenous bio-resources are the major activities which have been taken up under the schemes related with conservation and preservation of natural resources.
It has been revealed that out of 155 natural lakes in Manipur, 136 have dried up.
Out of the remaining 19 lakes, nine are also on the brink of vanishing.
Thus, the existing water bodies which cover an area of 23,246 hectares during post- monsoon is only about 10,661 hectares during the pre-monsoon season.
This has caused major changes in the climatic condition of the State.
The climatic condition of Manipur has now dramatically changed.
Twenty years ago, no one had ever expected that the maximum temperature in the State would reach 33 degree centigrade.
The summer season then was also very short.
Manipur used to be known as a land that remains cold throughout the year.
The climate has changed for the worse due to the fact that most of the lakes that had existed in the hills and the valleys dried up and the forests had been destroyed, environmentalists observed.
The Environmental and Ecology Wing, established in 1997, act as a nodal agency for planning, co-ordination and promotion of meaningful application in various developmental programmes to achieve the socio economic objective of the state and for advancing mass awareness and protection of the fragile environment.
The wing had taken up various programmes to maintain a consistent balance between the developmental programmes and restoration of natural environment in Manipur apart from acting as the nodal agency for preparation of the environment report of the state and national environment awareness programme.
It also acts as ENVIS (Environmental Information System) under the union ministry of Environment and Forests.
The state government also assigned this office for the State Referral Laboratory (SRL)/State Referral Institute (SRI) for the National Rural Water Quality Monitoring.
The main aim and basic target of the various schemes is to arrest further damage in the ecosystem of this state.
Under this scheme the wing is taking up many programme like mass aforestation, landscaping/land development and tree plantation programme to schools and colleges in Mainpur, officials at the Environmental and Ecology Wing said.
Through these schemes environmental problems/issues of the state are being delivered to target groups in order to develop skills, attitudes and values so as to enable and encourage individuals in the promotion of sustainable development by their actions, they added.
Showing posts with label Manipur/Environmental Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manipur/Environmental Issues. Show all posts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, June 22, 2009
India Criticises Bangladesh Over Tipaimukh Dam Issue
By Sinlung
Dhaka, Jun 22 : India has criticised the false “propaganda” against the cross-border Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur with its envoy in Dhaka, saying Bangladesh was consulted on the construction of the structure meant for generating hydro-power.
“Recently, there has been a lot of agitation on the issue of Tipaimukh Dam… I would like to appeal to the friendly people of Bangladesh not to be misled by false propaganda,” Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said yesterday at a function, joined by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
“I would like to reiterate that it is a hydroelectric multipurpose project to produce electricity only (and) the project has no component of irrigation and involves no diversion of water for irrigation purposes,” he said referring the construction of Tipaimukh dam in north-eastern India.Publish Post
Chakravarty’s comments came as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Khaleda Zia said they would seek the international community including the United Nations supports to hold back India from constructing the dam on the Barak River along the northeastern Bangladesh frontier threatening “exposing half of the country to desertification”.
“Construction of a dam at Tipaimukh would be a death-trap for Bangladesh,” BNP vice president Hafizuddin Ahmed told a press conference last week as several experts feared that the structure would hamper the river flow into Bangladesh.
Referring to minutes of past Joint River Commission meetings since 1970s, Chakravarty said India had consulted Bangladesh about the construction of the dam.
“The so-called water experts also say that India has violated international law. There is no binding international law on transnational rivers,” the Indian envoy said.
Moni, however, did not make any comment on the issue but last week she said Dhaka would resolve through talks any dispute with New Delhi over interventions on common rivers.
“If the Tipaimukh or any other structure on upstream Indian regions threatens Bangladesh’s interest, steps will be taken to resolve the dispute through talks,” Moni had told reporters at central Chandpur district.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this month said Bangladesh would form an all-party parliamentary committee to review the impact and fix the country’s stance on an under-construction cross-border dam in India.
“The government is going to form the all-party parliamentary committee to fix our stance on the Tipaimukh Dam issue,” a prime minister’s office spokesman quoted Hasina as saying as the Indian envoy called on her.
The Prime Minister, he said, told the Indian envoy that the committee would visit the dam area to review its impact on Bangladesh and submit a report to Parliament suggesting, “What stance Bangladesh should take on the issue”.
BNP yesterday said it would join the parliamentary team to visit Tipaimukh site in India if a neutral team of water experts was included in the delegation.
Dhaka, Jun 22 : India has criticised the false “propaganda” against the cross-border Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur with its envoy in Dhaka, saying Bangladesh was consulted on the construction of the structure meant for generating hydro-power.
“Recently, there has been a lot of agitation on the issue of Tipaimukh Dam… I would like to appeal to the friendly people of Bangladesh not to be misled by false propaganda,” Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said yesterday at a function, joined by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
“I would like to reiterate that it is a hydroelectric multipurpose project to produce electricity only (and) the project has no component of irrigation and involves no diversion of water for irrigation purposes,” he said referring the construction of Tipaimukh dam in north-eastern India.Publish Post
Chakravarty’s comments came as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Khaleda Zia said they would seek the international community including the United Nations supports to hold back India from constructing the dam on the Barak River along the northeastern Bangladesh frontier threatening “exposing half of the country to desertification”.
“Construction of a dam at Tipaimukh would be a death-trap for Bangladesh,” BNP vice president Hafizuddin Ahmed told a press conference last week as several experts feared that the structure would hamper the river flow into Bangladesh.
Referring to minutes of past Joint River Commission meetings since 1970s, Chakravarty said India had consulted Bangladesh about the construction of the dam.
“The so-called water experts also say that India has violated international law. There is no binding international law on transnational rivers,” the Indian envoy said.
Moni, however, did not make any comment on the issue but last week she said Dhaka would resolve through talks any dispute with New Delhi over interventions on common rivers.
“If the Tipaimukh or any other structure on upstream Indian regions threatens Bangladesh’s interest, steps will be taken to resolve the dispute through talks,” Moni had told reporters at central Chandpur district.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this month said Bangladesh would form an all-party parliamentary committee to review the impact and fix the country’s stance on an under-construction cross-border dam in India.
“The government is going to form the all-party parliamentary committee to fix our stance on the Tipaimukh Dam issue,” a prime minister’s office spokesman quoted Hasina as saying as the Indian envoy called on her.
The Prime Minister, he said, told the Indian envoy that the committee would visit the dam area to review its impact on Bangladesh and submit a report to Parliament suggesting, “What stance Bangladesh should take on the issue”.
BNP yesterday said it would join the parliamentary team to visit Tipaimukh site in India if a neutral team of water experts was included in the delegation.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
WETLANDS VANISHING IN MANIPUR
Source: Hueiyen News Service, June 10 2009
Out of 155 lakes that Mother Nature had endowed Manipur with, 136 had been dried up causing major changes in the climatic conditions of the state.
According to data collected by the Environment and Ecology Wing, Government of Manipur, only 19 lakes still remain in the state. However, nine of these 19 lakes are also on the brink of vanishing. The lakes that still remain are Pumlen (Khoidum) Pat (lake), Ekop (Kharung) Pat, Loushi Pat, Waithou (Punnem) Pat, Aongbeekhong Pat, Ushoipokpi Pat, Sana Pat, Utra Pat, Tankha Pat, Kharam Pat, Lamphel Pat, Jailet Pat, Jeimeng Pat and Loktak Pat. But Lamphel Pat, Kharam Pat, Tankha Pat, Utra Pat and Sana Pat are lakes only in name, physically they are almost vanished (dried up). Official sources said, there are records with the Environment and Ecology Wing that there were once 155 lakes in Manipur. However, the only lake that is officially recognised as a lake by the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) under Ministry of Environtment and Forest, Government of India is the Loktak Lake. The other lakes are not recognised as lakes by the NLCP. Therefore the state has not been able to get funds from the Centre for improving these lakes.
On the changes that had come about in the climate of Manipur, experts informed this newspaper that 20 years ago, no one had ever expected that the maximum temperature of the state would reach 330C.The summer season then was also very short. Therefore, Manipur used to be known as a land that remains cold throughout the year. The experts further said, the maximum temperature of Manipur had never reached 250C 20 years back. The rate of rainfall then was also quite good and there used to be rainfall almost every month. Today the maximum temperature in April and May has reached 330C. Moreover there is no rainfall for months together. The experts said, the climate has changed for worse due to the fact that most of the lakes that used to exist in the hills and the valley had dried up and that the forests had been destroyed. Lakes like Lamphel Pat, Porompat, Akampat and Yaralpat used to play a major role in maintaining the climate of Imphal. But today Lamphel Pat cannot be considered a lake at all. Likewise Porompat and Yaralpat are also only in name. Since so many invaluable lakes had disappeared, the imbalance in the climate came about. Besides, as there are no lakes into which the drains used to flow, flood occurs in most parts of Imphal city when even a little rain falls. Because of these factors, the problem of scarcity of drinking water arises, the experts opined. In order to prevent the worsening climatic condition in the state, the Government of Manipur has started taking up measures to revive the dried lakes.
Out of 155 lakes that Mother Nature had endowed Manipur with, 136 had been dried up causing major changes in the climatic conditions of the state.
According to data collected by the Environment and Ecology Wing, Government of Manipur, only 19 lakes still remain in the state. However, nine of these 19 lakes are also on the brink of vanishing. The lakes that still remain are Pumlen (Khoidum) Pat (lake), Ekop (Kharung) Pat, Loushi Pat, Waithou (Punnem) Pat, Aongbeekhong Pat, Ushoipokpi Pat, Sana Pat, Utra Pat, Tankha Pat, Kharam Pat, Lamphel Pat, Jailet Pat, Jeimeng Pat and Loktak Pat. But Lamphel Pat, Kharam Pat, Tankha Pat, Utra Pat and Sana Pat are lakes only in name, physically they are almost vanished (dried up). Official sources said, there are records with the Environment and Ecology Wing that there were once 155 lakes in Manipur. However, the only lake that is officially recognised as a lake by the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) under Ministry of Environtment and Forest, Government of India is the Loktak Lake. The other lakes are not recognised as lakes by the NLCP. Therefore the state has not been able to get funds from the Centre for improving these lakes.
On the changes that had come about in the climate of Manipur, experts informed this newspaper that 20 years ago, no one had ever expected that the maximum temperature of the state would reach 330C.The summer season then was also very short. Therefore, Manipur used to be known as a land that remains cold throughout the year. The experts further said, the maximum temperature of Manipur had never reached 250C 20 years back. The rate of rainfall then was also quite good and there used to be rainfall almost every month. Today the maximum temperature in April and May has reached 330C. Moreover there is no rainfall for months together. The experts said, the climate has changed for worse due to the fact that most of the lakes that used to exist in the hills and the valley had dried up and that the forests had been destroyed. Lakes like Lamphel Pat, Porompat, Akampat and Yaralpat used to play a major role in maintaining the climate of Imphal. But today Lamphel Pat cannot be considered a lake at all. Likewise Porompat and Yaralpat are also only in name. Since so many invaluable lakes had disappeared, the imbalance in the climate came about. Besides, as there are no lakes into which the drains used to flow, flood occurs in most parts of Imphal city when even a little rain falls. Because of these factors, the problem of scarcity of drinking water arises, the experts opined. In order to prevent the worsening climatic condition in the state, the Government of Manipur has started taking up measures to revive the dried lakes.
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