Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Manipur’s Waithou Protected Forest is green again. A aggressive anti-encroachment drive and mass planting project turned the area around. The recovery started on June 12, 2022. That is when authorities cleared 69 illegal structures from the protected zone. The Forest Department then fenced off a seven-hectare tract and put thousands of native saplings in the dirt.
The canopy is growing fast. It now provides a home for birds and reptiles. Former Thoubal Divisional Forest Officer Dinesh Chandra Salam led the project. "The burgeoning canopy has begun bearing fruit, effectively restoring wildlife habitats for various bird and reptile species," Salam noted regarding the four-year effort.
Manipur relies on its forests. The state total covers 17,418 square kilometers, which is 74.7 percent of the entire geography. This includes 4,171.70 square kilometers of protected forests and 984.26 square kilometers of reserved forests under the Indian Forest Act of 1927. Unclassified forests make up 11,130.73 square kilometers, while the Protected Area Network covers another 32.02 square kilometers.
Residents feel the difference. Local man N. Rojesh says the new trees improve water retention and air quality while dropping local temperatures. Commuters along National Highway-102 notice the change too. The foothills now pull in weekend visitors. Officials say this work protects nearby Waithou Pat and Ushoipokpi Pat wetlands. They want the state and local communities to keep working together to stop future damage.
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