Manipur lost 877 sq kms of forest cover from 1987 to 2021 : CM Biren

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 5 : Chief Minister N Biren Singh has asserted that Manipur lost 877 square kilometers of forest cover in between 1987 and 2021.
In a social media post, he elaborated that forest cover in Manipur decreased from 17,475 sq km in 1987 to 16,598 sq km in 2021.
The large tract of forest cover was destroyed, primarily for the cultivation of poppy, the Chief Minister said.
"Mind boggling" is what the Chief Minister says about the loss of forest cover in the period (1987 to 2021).
Saying that 291 encroachers have been evicted from the State's Reserved and Protected Forests after the BJP came to power in 2017, he added that evictions from the Reserved Forest & Protected Forest were carried out throughout the State and it was never targeted towards any particular community.
The post of the Chief Minister read, "We rely on mother nature for our survival. Mother nature will continue to thrive without us."
Some mind boggling data:
Forest cover in 1987: 17,475 sq km
Forest cover in 2021: 16,598 sq km
(877 square kilometres of forest cover were destroyed, primarily for the cultivation of poppy)
Eviction carried out ever since the BJP Government came to power in Manipur : 291 encroachers
Evictions from the Reserve Forest & Protected Forest were carried out throughout the State. It was never targeted towards any particular community.
In the post, the Chief Minister also attached an audio video clip which is over 200 seconds long.
The video starts with a caption "Protecting Manipur's Natural Heritage Against Illegal Exploitation, Save Our Forest" and in the background the Chief Minister says he is against deforestation, poppy plantation and drug smuggling.
The video is a compilation of clips of initiatives taken up by the Government to rejuvenate forest such as tree plantation drives, demolition of structures on encroached land etc and the resistance faced in doing so from a section of people such as the burning of Forest office and hindering Forest officials from doing their jobs.
"Action and cooperation becomes even more urgent. Together, the people of Manipur must save the forest, and the land from illegal encroachers... and illegal immigrants," states the video.
On April 30, the Chief Minister had in his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) posted that 996 new and unauthorised villages have been established in Manipur due to illegal immigration since 2016.