Fully grown tree chopped in the heart of Imphal; Is Green Manipur Mission a joke?

IT News

Imphal, Sept. 27

At what could be term as a thrashing blow to the Chief Minister’s Green Manipur Mission, a fully grown tree at the footpath adjacent to Johnstone Higher Secondary School was chopped today afternoon probably for convenience in lifting of iron bars of Foot Bridge.

The tree was grown around 10 feet away from the iron pillar of Foot Bridge. None of the persons engaged for the construction of the work agreed to talk to this reporter, when asked if they get prior permission from the forest authority for cutting of the tree. When asked to the concern government officials supervising the work at the construction site, gave positive reply instead told this reporter not to take photograph of the scene.

Imphal Times tried to contact the urban forestry DFO, but did not pick up the call.

In August, this year an eight years old girl Elangbam Valentina cried after she found her two Gulmohar trees cut down. A video of hers uploaded through social media drew the attention of thousands and the Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh was so touched that he sent District Police and other authorities to give sapling to the little girl who cried for the tree. The Chief Minister even appointed her as the Ambassador of his Green Manipur Mission.

The tree, fully grown one, in the middle of the Imphal city just adjacent to Johnstone Higher Secondary School was cut down today just for convenience of lifting iron bar for construction of the Foot Bridge.

This reporter finds the tree growing about 10 feet from the pillar of the Bridge and moreover the tree was already grown at the time when the Foot Bridge was yet to be constructed.

When the world today is on Global Climate Strike, When 15 years old Greta Thumberg of Sweden sails from Europe to USA to fight climate change; when 8 years old Elangbam Valentina cried after she found her trees being cut down and  when the Chief Minister himself showed his love for the environment and initiated Green Manipur Mission by encouraging plantation across the state, cutting of the trees, that too in the middle of Imphal city showed how serious is the Chief Minister.

The tree was not properly uprooted for re-plantation but butchered which showed that this government have no mercy for the trees and that ‘Green Manipur Mission’ is just slogan to get applause and not to save the environment.