IT Correspondent
Imphal, May 9:
Like other environment loving bodies, a group of Royal Enfield riders in Manipur popularly known as Royal Riders Manipur (RRM)’s continuous tree plantation efforts and public awareness programs since 2008 helps in rejuvenating the green covers in some areas of the state.
“Our activities also at least help in rejuvenating green cover in some specific areas of Langol, Yaral pat etc,” says RK Tombisana, President of RRM. “Tree plantation became mandatory in most of our events as we’ve a message -A tree for every hero of the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891.”
With the motto “Serving with adventure,” RRM which is Manipur’s most happening bike club with Enfield bullet riders belonging to diverse professionals, is formed with the motive to undertake charity events related to health, environment, child rights, disaster, communal harmony besides art and culture to create a “good biker” image.
They started to take up welfare programmes with their own contributions across the region after their first ride towards Kuirei, a remote in Manipur’s Ukhrul district for a free medical camp in April 2007.For their generous service, the people they met sometimes called them ‘Angels on wheels.’
The RRM with support of different NGOs had been organising the awareness campaign to save the environment by voluntarily participating in plantations and taking up activities to prevent pollution. The activity rose from their deep concern over the state’s degrading biodiversity, rise in temperature, unpredicted rain etc.
Considering these, the riders (RRM) begins to organise the month-long campaign to protect and conserve the environment locally known as ‘Mahousa Ima Ningsing Tha’ (month to remember Mother Nature)with special focus on local environment issues even though it was observed under the United Nations theme, Tombisana said.
Manipur power, forest, environment and climate change minister Thongam Biswajit Singh inaugurated this year’s month-long campaign with the UN theme ‘Only one Earth,’ on May 6 wherein the RRM’s 200 plus members conducted tree plantation at Andro, CI College and Kangchup Chiru covering three districts-Imphal East, Bishnupur and Kangpokpi.
On Sunday, another tree plantation was also held as part of the ongoing observation at Langol hill range in the outskirts of Imphal in presence of DGP Manipur P Doungel.
Regarding the ongoing campaign, RRM’s secretary Jogen Phanjoubam said, “We’ll also celebrate the Environment Day with awareness programs on mother nature, organising green concerts and distribution of tree saplings etc.” Manipur recorded the loss in forest cover (249 sq kms), according to the biennial India’s State of Forest Report 2021 published by the Forest Survey of India.
