IMPHAL, October 22: The Village Women Co-ordinating Committee, Kachi Khul Lamsang a/c today organized its first demonstration cum awareness programme demanding action from the government regarding climate change.
The demonstration titled ‘Malemgi Meisha Hengatlukpa amasung Aying Asha Hengatlakpa’ was observed at the community hall, Kachi village today.
Informing media persons during the demonstration, W Prabha president of the committee stated that the demonstration is the first of many more such demonstration cum awareness programme to be launched by the committee in the near future.
The demonstration will be followed up by various seminars, public meetings and other campaigns and help spread awareness on the issue of climate change in the state, she added.
Later after the demonstration members of the committee further submitted its charter of demands to the Chief Minister, Governor and the environment minister.
The committee in its charter of demands has demanded from the government to expedite the ongoing draft of the State Action Plan on climate change and translate it into action and also added that the plan should be people friendly with due recognition of gender.
It has further demanded the government to formulate a state water policy, state energy policy, state forest policy and state land policy with recognition of all articles of the declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, including treaty rights to water.
It has further demanded protection of wetlands, forest, river, farmland, biological regions and habitats from industrial and developmental projects
While stating that the change in climatic conditions would have adverse impacts on the people and environment with Manipur, it has further demanded the government to protect wetlands, forest, river, farmland, biological regions and habitats from industrial and development projects.
It has also stated that climate change would lead to uneven rainfall, extreme climate, frequent fast floods and drought.
The committee has also demanded for carbon stock assessment of forest and further added that market trading should not be allowed in any form in the state.
In its charter of demands, the committee has also included that the Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change should stop all process of formulating a state policy on Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+), which is a false market based approach, it further claim.
“Construction of large dams should not be encouraged and instead tiny and micro hydel projects should be promoted. Environment impact assessment should be carried out as per the World Commission on Dams and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, it further added.
