DIMAPUR: A meeting on the proposed project for “Conservation and Restoration of Catchment Areas of Barak River in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland” was held at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Kohima, on August 31.
The meeting was chaired by Ruopfukuotuo Noudi, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, and attended by representatives of the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCORMS) along with officials from concerned state departments.
A representative of NERCORMS presented the objectives of the project, which is proposed to be implemented by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, with NERCORMS as the executing agency. The project is to be funded by the Government of India and KfW, Germany, a DIPR report stated.
The initiative seeks to address environmental challenges in the Barak basin arising from unsustainable land use and poor watershed management. Key concerns include deforestation, soil erosion, wetland degradation, shifting cultivation, riverbank erosion, high sediment loads and increasing flood risks downstream.
The project will focus on landscape planning, catchment restoration, climate mitigation, value chain development, forestry and horticulture interventions, and project management. Activities will include soil and moisture conservation, plantation and forest protection, biodiversity conservation, springshed management, livelihood promotion and capacity building of local communities.
Expected outcomes include improved forest and vegetation cover, strengthened climate resilience, reduced flood risks, enhanced livelihood opportunities and sustainable management of natural resources.
The meeting also discussed the ongoing feasibility study and the data required from various departments, including inputs on community forests, customary land ownership, upper catchment management, water resources, agriculture, soil health, agroforestry, biodiversity and traditional ecological knowledge.
NERCORMS emphasised that the project will adopt a grassroots approach, incorporating the needs and perspectives of local communities, with equal participation of both male and female representatives.
Officials from concerned departments deliberated on the feasibility of the proposed interventions and suggested designating a nodal officer from the State to coordinate project activities.
