From John K. KapingUKHRUL / April 18 : The inter village road connectivity construction under Prime Minister Gram Samaj Yojana (PMGSY) underway from Shiroy village to Zingsui/Mapum Villages which is about 30 kilometers is “a very special boon” to the villagers.
The matter came to light when this Ukhrul Correspondent personally visited the worksite and saw villagers taking the new route to their villages in much shorter time. The villagers of the extreme border villages used to travel roads from Ukhrul to Kamjong which is more than 60 kilometer but now they can easily travel to their villages in half the distance.
One of the most serious points to be considered is that the Government of India needs to take up prompt measures in regard to the degradation of the ecological imbalance and creating global warming as far as the villagers of Shiroy and the people of Ukhrul District (Tangkhul Community) in general which has of more than 1.8 lacs population.
Ukhrul town and many adjoining villages get the drinking water from Shiroy peak water points. Shiroy village Headmen and their sub-ordinate Village authorities said in an “exclusive Press Conference” held in their village which was participated by 15 village authorities including the Speaker of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) Mr. Rock.Mr. Ngatankhui Wungzek one of the two village headmen noted that construction of roads under PMGSY brings a destructive development for the people of the Shiroy village and especially to the Tangkhul people collectively due to the reason that with the coming of the new roads, indiscriminate felling of trees and stone quarrying are carried out in the virgin forest of Shiroi village jungle.
Achan Shang,headman enjoined similar view to Ngatangkhui, M Paoshim, treasurer of the VA and asserted the need of the hour in bringing about the policy “cut one tree, plant ten” from the government side.
AS Mathotmi, Village auditor deliberated in his point of view that there is more demerit in regard to the PMGSY road construction underway stressing the point of deforesting the virgin forest of Shiroy Village due to the indiscriminate cutting down of trees and others causing to lead the loss of the “purest form of Shiroi” and water resources available leading to global warming.
The views from the two headmen and the sub-ordinate village authorities stands firm to protect the “Virgin Forest” of the village in the interest and benefit of the Tangkhul Community and appealed through the media and urging to make financial assistance towards the owners of the trees, forest, lands or natural resources and to stop felling the trees and quarrying of stones and other natural resources that will reduce the natural resources of the “Virgin Forest” for a better future. But the whole participants and the village authorities and the villagers vehemently abided to agree that the nearing completion of construction of roads cannot be stopped.
