TURA: Albeit the jhum cultivation has become an imperative practice for farmers in Garo Hills to eke out a living over the years, its impact on the environment, however, has been immoderate.
Taking this into account, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner has urged the departments to provide alternative livelihood options to the villagers in the Nokrek region in a bid to avert any further destruction of forests and water catchment areas there.
A meeting to deliberate over the matter was recently convened by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh, with Nokmas of Nokrek Biosphere Reserve and Tura Peak area. The officials of different departments including the GHADC, Forest and Environment, Soil and Water Conservation, PWD, PHE, Agriculture, Horticulture and BDOs of the district had also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Singh apprised the gathering of the concerns raised by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment, which recently visited the district.
The Committee had claimed that there was a massive destruction of forest cover going on due to jhum cultivation in Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, thereby threatening the sources of Simsang, Ganol rivers and Didare, and the main source of water supply to the people of Garo Hills region in general and Tura in particular.
The Committee had also warned that if the jhum cultivation continues to be practised in the upper stream and near catchment areas, a time may come when water sources will dry up.
Considering the importance of preserving the Nokrek catchment areas, Singh urged the line departments to provide alternate livelihood opportunities to the villagers engaged in jhum cultivation.
Speaking on the same lines, Divisional Forest Officer (Territorial), WGH Division, Sachin Gavade, suggested that other line departments should intervene so as to provide jobs and uplift the prevailing economic condition in the region.
He also said as per their record, jhum cultivation has been showing a downward trend, which may be due to the current interventions by various departments.