Region
Manipur village bans hunting wildlife to conserve Shirui biodiversity
IMPHAL — In a move to conserve the biodiversity of Shirui peak and its forest, the people of Shirui village in Ukhrul district have imposed a ban on the hunting of animals and killing of birds within its jurisdiction for the next three years beginning November 2023.
“A resolution was taken in the Shirui village half-yearly sitting recently,” said headman, Soyo A Wungsek of Shirui village (Aze).
The Shirui village authority had also written a letter in this regard to the Divisional Forest officer, Ukhrul (Aze) last month. The letter was jointly signed by headmen of Shirui village (Aze) and Shirui village (Ato).
Shirui peak, known as Shirui Kashong in the local tongue in the Ukhrul district, is the natural habitat of Manipur’s state flower Shirui lily which blossoms in May-June.
In fact, Manipur’s three treasures Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), Nong-in (syrmaticus humiae)- state bird and Uningthou (Phoebe hainesiana)- state tree are found in Shirui area, according to headman Wungsek.
Besides, the water in Ukhrul district headquarters, which has a sizable population, comes from Shirui village.
‘So people really need to support the initiative of the village so as to conserve the endangered flowers, birds and trees, etc. The people also need to extend support so that the villagers do not go to the jungle,’ he observed.
‘We will continue the initiative if we get the support from the government as well. After all, many endangered plants and animals (in Shirui Kashong) are facing threats due to various factors,’ he felt.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has also praised the initiative of the Shirui village. In a social media post on November 5, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter): 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.
In August 2018, Aristolochia ovatifolia, a climbing shrub found in China, was also spotted for the first time in India by a team from New Delhi-based website for flowers called the Flowers of India at the Shirui village in Ukhrul district. The oval-leaf Pipevine species is known as “Ngashanwon” at the Shirui village in Ukhrul district.