To review all the implementing works under The Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP) supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and to assess the benefits and sustainability of the projects in the implementing villages, Mokokchung Forest Division (MFD) held a two-day annual review meeting on April 29-30.
A press release by District Forest Officer (DFO) Mokokchung office informed that NFMP supported by JICA aims to improve the forest ecosystem and support income generation by rehabilitation of jhum area and provision of livelihood support thereby contributing to sustainable forest and environmental conservation and livelihood improvement.
Under Mokokchung division, DFO said the project has been implemented in all the project villages since 2020. The division covered an area of 4577 Ha, planting 9,17,302 saplings in 5 different plantation model areas (JAF – Jhum Agro-Forestry model; JFF – Jhum Fallow Forestry model; JCF-Jhum conversion to Forestry model; JCC – Jhum conversion to community conservation area and PEC- protection and expansion of community conservation areas)
DFO said under the batch -1 villages, Changtongya New, Mopungchuket and Mongsenyimti villages had covered plantation sites and conservation sites of 999-hectare where around 1,80,000 saplings were planted.
Under Batch -2, six villages comprising Sungratsu, Chakpa, Longmisa, Salulemang, Merangkong and Yaongyimsen, the total area covered under plantation and conservation site is 2416 hectares and seedlings planted is around 5,12,000. The batch -3 villages Aliba, Chungtia, Longkong, Longpa, covered an area of 1163 hectares, planting 2,25,000 saplings and Kelingmen, where the designated area is 461 hectares and with seedlings of 98,000 saplings to be planted and gap replacements to be done.
The batch-IV villages to be taken up are Mangmetong, Sattsu, Longkum and Liroyim, covering a projected area of 1190 Hectare to be covered.
The annual review meeting was held under DFO cum DMU head Dr. Sentitula and attended by the assistant conservator of forest cum ADMU Head, Alemwapang, range officer cum FMU head Mokokchung, Sashilemla, assistant conservator of forest, Moamongba and the facilitating NGO team of Mokokchung (i.e. the Nagaland development outreach) led by the team leader Dr. Akumtoshi, all the executive field staff, the DMU team, the supervisors and the community mobilisers, all the JFMC presidents and SHG representatives. During the meeting, Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) presidents gave PowerPoint presentations on their ongoing work.