Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) along with the Justice Foundation, Kangpokpi have jointly reached out to the villages inhabited across the belt of of Thayong-Waithou Chiru Range of Imphal East and held a community interaction on Sustainable Future and Protection of Environment in Manipur on January 23.
The community interaction resolved to immediately stop the Oil Palm Plantation in Manipur, to review the Oil Palm Plantation and promote large scale mustard plantation to produce mustard oil which is much healthier than Palm Oil and to obtain free, prior and informed consent of the people and consult all the citizens of Manipur before any projects are being implemented in Manipur.
During the interaction Shadishkanta, secretary YFPHR and Saiphu, secretary, Justice Foundation highlighted various negative impact of plantation of Oil Palm citing various examples of the past negative experiences of Indonesia and Malaysia wherein large population of Indigenous Peoples are impacted due to large scale plantation of Oil Palm by the Palm Oil companies and the government.
It further highlighted that people of Manipur already are experiencing water scarcity due to climate change and other factors however, the government move for the plantation of Oil Palm shocks the people of Manipur as Oil Palm is water thirsty plant which consumes more that 200-250 litres of water per day. The move of the government will have severe impact on water sources of Manipur.
