Imphal: The officials of the Ibudhou Korouhanba Thougal Lup, Moidangpok, have urged the concerned authorities to immediately evict illegal encroachers of its land at Makubi Hill in Longa Koireng Protected Forest, which is under the jurisdiction of DFO, Bishnupur.
They said that Makubi Hill has been used as Lai Lamthokpham by Ibudhou Korouhandba and Ema Thambal Leima since time immemorial. The 10 acres of land were even recognised by Pandit Loishang, Manipur, in a letter dated January 3, 1985, and by the Deputy Commissioner, Senapati District, in the name of a deity in a letter dated March 20, 1991.
The officials further informed that Longa Koireng was also declared a protected forest in Manipur Gazette No. 55/66/60-M dated February 2, 1962.
In the last few years, however, many illegal encroachers have built permanent structures and carried out tree cutting illegally within this protected forest. These encroachers claimed patta or dak chitha over the protected area’s land.This may create some unintended tension among the communities, they added.
We request that the relevant authorities take immediate action to avoid any untoward incident, it warned.
