Eastern Himalayan Youth Coordinating Committee on Climate Change (EHYCCoCC) has urged the chief ministers of the North Eastern states to stop and withdraw the proposed Palm Oil plantation in all the North Eastern states under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
In a representation to the chief ministers of the North Eastern states, the committee requested the states to withdraw all the laws passed by the respective legislative assemblies with regard to palm oil plantations and urged the chief ministers to encourage farmers to produce large scale vegetable oil by planting and producing mustard oil.
The committee reminded that large scale forest areas had already disappeared due to construction of mega dams, mining, oil exploration, expansion of highways, etc. giving serious negative impact on the people, environment, animals, flora and fauna, etc. “Yet another project of destruction is observed to have been proposed and approved by the Prime Minister for the large scale Plantation of Palm Trees for the production of Palm Oil in the region which is yet another doom proposal for the people of North East under NMEO-OP,” it added. The forum reminded that the world witnessed the negative impact of palm tree plantation and learning from the same, the Sri Lankan government totally banned the plantation of palm oil trees and also import and export.
It said that large scale negative impact of palm oil plantation was already witnessed in Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia and others. However, they said the proposal of Prime Minister for large scale plantation of palm oil trees across the region was not a people friendly and environment friendly step.
The joint representation was issued by EHYCCoCC members– Kangbura Timung and Ajay Dole (Assam), Pritam Debbarma (Tripura), Marina Konsam (Manipur), James Tungoe (Nagaland) and James Hitler Mawphniang (Meghalaya).