Our Correspondent
Phayeng, Dec. 30 (EMN): N Toyai Chakpa, chief of Phayeng village in Manipur’s Imphal west district, shared the traditional practices in climate change adaptation during the deliberation programme organised and sponsored by the Manipur state Environment Department Climate Cell.
“I saw deer last in our village forest before the forest was cleared,” said 70 year old village chief Toyai. “I was a child at that point of time.”
Chakpa said he along with some villagers spotted a deer at their village forest after a gap of more than 50 years following regeneration and conservation of forest.
The village chief expressed the need to conserve wildlife.
“The traditional village rules prohibit anyone from entering the forest area which covers more than 230 hectares. Besides fines imposed as penalty for entering without permission or knowledge of Land and Forest Protection committee of the village,” he said. Villagers are allowed to hunt only once in a year in the name of Lai-Haraoba (Syvan deity worship) as an offering to the gods, he said.
According to reports, Phayeng village with a population of more than 5,000, is known for preserving indigenous culture. About 9 % of village land are used for settlement while 57% for agriculture and 34 % for forest is now being used to make it climate resilient.
“The scheduled caste village (Phayeng) become ‘model carbon positive eco-village’ and has adapted climate vulnerabilities so that the same practices may be replicated in other such villages. After all the climate cell division of the state environment department also extends certain scientific inputs and support for better conservation activities in the village by planting good number of fruit bearing trees,” said Dr. T Brajakumar, deputy director of state Environment department.
Village chiefs and elders of Andro and Sekmai also shared their traditional way of practices in conserving their natural resources particularly the forest areas for the sustainable livelihood.
Prof. W Nabakumar, former head of anthropology department, Manipur University chaired and moderated the day’s deliberation session which was attended by environmentalists and scholars from Manipur University and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Manipur campus.
