Imphal, September 08 2017: Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said that the Central Government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to study the causes of frequent floods in the North East region and prepare an Action Plan to check it .
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Convention on Climate Change � Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change, 2013, organised by Centre for Social Development (CSD) at 1st MR Banquet Hall today.
The Chief Minister said that during a review meeting on the recent flash floods, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed the Chief Ministers of the North East States about sanctioning of the said amount .
Biren said that North East region is home to around 280 ethnic communities speaking around 170 dialects .
He said that people are talking about protecting the indigenous population of the region, whereas it seems that they take less interest in protecting the indigenous properties � the rich flora and fauna of the region .
He then questioned the practice of cutting down road side trees and placing them across roads while launching any agitation .
One can always use desks and benches to block roads, if they must rather than cutting down trees .
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a long-term plan to tackle climate change and global warming, N Biren stated that Ujwala and ‘Housing for All’ schemes are part of it .
He asserted that the Government should be practical in its approach and it needs to provide replacements for the traditional ways of living and livelihood to the people .
N Biren said that free LPG connections are being provided to BPL families under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana so that deforestation for fire-woods can be checked .
Likewise, the Government is also helping people own concrete houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaj Yojana (Housing for All scheme), he added .
Stating that mere raising environment protection slogans without being practical would lead to nowhere, the Chief Minister said that efforts are being made to convert garbage into fuel to replace charcoal as well .
Maintaining that people must be aware that heavy rainfall and flash floods have started wreaking havoc in the hills valley areas alike, the Chief Minister reminded the gathering that natural calamities never spare anybody on the basis of religion or community .
As such, mankind should join hands as one family to take up necessary measures in advance to avoid natural calamities, he observed .
PHE Minister Losii Dikho and environmentalist and BJP spokesperson RK Ranjan also attended the function as guest of honour and president respectively .
In his speech, Losii Dikho opined that people should begin environment protection from the personal level.
Mere holding of functions and conventions without dedication and conviction in this regard would not serve any purpose, he added .
Speaking at the occasion, RK Ranjan said that all the development plans of the Government should be prepared taking the possible impacts on environment into consideration .
North East region is not only known as the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot but also as a confluence of migrant species because numerous species from Indo-Malaysian, Chinese and Indian regions had migrated to the North East .
As such, people of the North East should do whatever possible to protect this rich bio-diversity resource for a sustainable living, he opined .
Delegates from all the eight North East States also took part in the convention.
Source: The Sangai Express
