Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday called upon villagers and local clubs settled at the foothills of different areas of the state to form committees with respective area district forest officer; officer-in-charge and superintendent of police to take preventive measures to stop wildfires in the hills.
Biren was speaking at the inauguration of NEC funded project integrated approach for enhancing ecosystem service at Nungkot, Andro, Imphal East district.
Recalling the wildfires that broke out at some hill ranges of the state recently, Biren said one of the major causes of the fire is negligence of the picnickers and campers at hill areas.
The local clubs and villagers settled at foothills with consent from concerned district forest officers; officer-in-charge of the police station concerned and the district superintendent of police should form a committee to monitor and check campfires left by the picnickers and campers, he maintained.
Biren said the committee needs to monitor the campfires by patrolling on foot at the foothills, particularly at tourist spots to check whether the campfires started by the tourists have been properly put out. With initiatives from such committees, wildfires in the hill ranges can be controlled, he added.
He further appealed to tourists and campers to be cautious while handling fire as a little negligence could cause wildfires.
People who are cutting trees for firewood should also be informed of the impact of deforestation, he appealed.
“Manipur has much potential and if people utilize the natural resource properly by cooperating with the government, then the state could become comparable to heaven,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chief minister also inaugurated several projects, including a 33/11 KV substation at Andro; 100 bedded girls’ hostel and school building of Andro High School. He also dedicated a 100-bedded girls’ hostel and 10 additional classrooms for Huikap High School.
Taking to Twitter, N Biren stated that the installation of the 33/11 KV substation at Andro will provide power supply to several localities in the area and assist them in various commercial and agricultural activities
“Happy to attend the inaugural function of the 33/11 KV Sub-Station at Andro. The installation of the sub-station will provide power supply to several localities in the area & assist them in various commercial & agricultural activities, thereby resulting in growth and development,” CM Biren tweeted.
“Delighted to inaugurate the 100 bedded girls hostel & school building of Andro High School. The State is working on providing the best for our students, they should utilize the new facilities, excel in their studies, stay free from drugs & alcohol, and practice a healthy lifestyle,” the chief minister stated in another tweet.
He stated that the infrastructure will facilitate means for delivering better and quality education within a safe and conducive atmosphere for learning and growth.
The chief minister also inaugurated the integrated approach project for enhancing ecosystem services of Nungkot, Andro.
“The NEC-funded project has been launched as a part of Climate Change Adaptation actions which were initiated after the endorsement of SAPCC. This will ensure the security of Land-Forest-Water and enhance ecosystem services and climate resilience. A similar project has been successfully executed at Phayeng as well,” CM Biren tweeted.
Forest, environment and climate change minister, Th Biswajit Singh; MLA, Andro assembly constituency, Th Shyamkumar were also attended as president and guest of honour respectively.
