IMPHAL, February 16: We need to protect the forest cover if we are to stop the rising temperature, conserve water bodies and arrest the global warming trend, additional Chief Secretary of Manipur Sambhu Singh said today.
The additional Chief Secretary was addressing the inaugural function of the three day training programme cum Mithun Mela on Scientific Mithun Husbandry for improving livelihood of the mithun rearers.
The function was held at the KVK Henbung Senapati jointly organised by the NRC on Mithun Jharnapani Medziphema Nagaland and KVK Henbung.
Stressing that mithun rearing could be a profitable alternative to Jhum cultivation, Sambhu observed that rearing of mithun can help the farmers earn their livelihood and reduce jhum cultivation.
At the same time, the population of the Mithun is now on the wane, because its natural habitat is vanishing fast as the forest cover is being depleted, he observed.
The present population of the bovine animal is only 2,90,000 with the highest numbers recorded in Arunachal Pradesh, he observed.
The numbers are very less in other parts of the North Eastern States, he added.
A thinning forest cover and lack of scientific Mithun husbandry are the main reasons for the decreasing Mithun population, he added.
A certain species is put on the endangered list if its population is below a certain total and if it continues to decrease further it is considered seriously endangered, he said, and added now the Mithun is almost on the verge of being declared an endangered species.
Mithun rearing is strongly related to the socio-economic aspect of the people of the hills, and it is necessary to start seriously consider conservation of the bovine by actually acting on it, he continued.
Rearing mithun could be an alternative livelihood for the people, he said continuing that the Union Minister of Forest and Environment and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar had recently enquired of an alternative livelihood which would reduce the jhum cultivation, if not completely stop the practice.
We are all aware that the practice of jhum cultivation is not good, but what is the alternative for the people, he asked.
The farmers need food security, livelihood to look after their family and we ned to provide an alternative which can provide them with enough money, he said.
During a discussion with additional PGCF of the Forest department Dr Purnima, he said rearing of mithun will be alternative source of livelihood and that it will be the primary focus of the government.
He said there are also other alternatives like horticulture and floriculture.
Shambhu also stressed on the need to start conserving and regenerating the forest cover.
ICAR NRC on Mithun Nagaland director Dr Abhijit Mitra said the population of Manipur is just about 12,000.
He said we can increase the population only if the animal is reared widely or domesticated.
If we allow the decrease in their population go unchecked for another four-five years, the animal will be extinct from the region, he said.
Mithun can give birth only once naturally, but with artificial insemination it is possible to produce three or more in two years, he said.
FEEDS/KVK-Senapati president Haokhulet Kipgen said if farmers in the hills start rearing mithun, it will provide them more economic benefits, and at the same time the practice of jhum cultivation will decrease, he said.