Manipur’s Shirui village bans hunting animals
ENVIRONMENT
Imphal: People of the famous and picturesque Shirui village in Tangkhul-Naga dominated Ukhrul district have put a ban on killing and hunting of animal and birds there for three years.
This came at a time when forest officials and villagers of Tamenglong district have stepped up to protect Amur falcons, their winged guests.
About 93 km from Imphal, Shirui, one of the key tourist spots of the state, is famous for its beautiful and rare Shirui lily, which is grown only in Shirui mountain peaks. Britisher Frank Kingdon Ward had in 1948 discovered Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae).
The beautiful flower blooms in the month of May and June, and in 1989 the state government had declared Shirui Lily as the state flower.
Shirui village authorities besides prohibiting killing of animals and birds within the village’s jurisdiction, have also put a total ban on using air guns and fire arms to promote conservation and bio-diversity of the area for three years with effect from October, said a letter submitted to divisional forest officer (Ukhrul) recently.
For proper and effective implementation of bio-diversity conservation, the village heads also requested the forest officer to issue a drone to them, said the letter.
Chief minister N Biren Singh, who chaired a cabinet meeting in Ukhurl last month, lauded the initiatives taken up by the Shirui village to conserve biodiversity and protection of wildlife there.
On Sunday, Biren took to Facebook and said “For the first time in Manipur, the people of Shirui village have decided to completely ban the hunting and killing of animals and birds within their jurisdiction. It is a remarkable step towards the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of our precious wildlife.”
“I express my heartfelt appreciation for the outstanding initiative taken by the people of Shirui Village. Such actions set an example for the entire state of Manipur and beyond,” he added.
Although Wildlife Protection Act 1972 prohibits hunting of any wild animal specified in Schedules of the Act, effectiveness of such a prohibition is doubtful without the support of the local villagers.