IMPHAL, June 6: The All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen`™s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) has stated that workshop on Right to Information under Right to Information Act, 2005 was jointly organised with Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) on June 4 and 5 at the Head Office of the union, Langolsabi Part-I, Loktak Lake.
According to a release of the union, all participants got pamphlets called RTI (Right to Information) and guide to using the RTI Act, 2005 free of cost which is a joint publication of CORE and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), New Delhi.
The union also stated that a one day health camp was successfully conducted jointly with Indigenous Perspective (IP), Shija Hospital and Research Institute (SHRI), CORE, People Resource Development Association (PRDA) and United People Front, Manipur (UPF).
The camp was conducted in commemoration with World Environment Day on June 4 at Langolsabi Loktak Lairembi Lampak, Loktak Lake.
A medical team from SHRI consisting of doctors and nurses including Eye Specialist, Medicine Specialist and Gynaecologist have given treatment to about 230 fishermen, women and children mostly from Langolsabi and Komjao Khangpok villages, it said.
Many of the participants were given medicine and immediate intervention where about 16 participants were referred to SHRI on June 10 for minor and major surgery at the subsidised rate taking into consideration about the hardship and long suffering inside the Loktak, it said.
The union on behalf of the organising committee expressed gratitude to those who attended the camp, it said.
In another press release, the Union further stated that the World Environment Day was jointly organised with All Manipur Thanga People`™s Welfare Association (AMTPWA), All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Committee on Human Rights Manipur (COHR), CORE, Centre for Research and Advocacy (CRA), Centre for Social Development (CSD), Ekta Parishad Manipur, Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN), Irabot Foundation, IP, International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), Loktak Fisher Worker Association (LFWA), LIFEWATCH, PRDA, United Committee Manipur (UCM) and United People`™s Front, Manipur (UPF) on June 5 at Langolsabi Loktak Lake on the theme `Save Loktak; Save Our Future`™.
The programme was attended by about 300 people including men, women and children.
The resource persons of the programme were, Chairman of COHR, Phukindro Konsam, President of UPF Manipur, O. Bikramjit, General Secretary of PRDA, Suranjoy, Deputy Director of CORE, Namdithiu Pamei, RTI Activist, Salam Prasanta and UCM President, E. Johnson, it said.
The resource persons stressed on the need for collective participation of the local people and the government to save the lake. Ithai dam should be decommissioned in order to save Loktak Lake and the Manipur Loktak (Protection) Act 2006 should be repealed. Friendly law and rules in consonance with the Ramsar convention and Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, National Environment Policy 2006, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, should be enacted for effective and sustainable development of the environment, it said.