Lumithsami (Akuluto), March 3 (MExN): With the objective of expanding the Tzula (Dikhu) Green Zone Project initiated by the two villages of Ungma and Longsa in Mokokchung, a marathon meeting was organized at Lumithsami village community hall today to discuss about conserving the biodiversity around the Dikhu river area by declaring it a protected green zone.
The primary objective of the meeting was to rope in the neighbouring upstream villages in Zunheboto which shares the water of Dikhu River. The two villages of Ungma and Longsa in the year 2010 and have declared 1326 hectres (about 14 ½ Km) of area around Dikhu as ‘Green Zone’ and declared that whoever hunted animals in the forest or fished in Dikhu would be fined a sum of Rs 50,000. So far, two parties who were caught to be violating the order of the TGZP have been penalised.
Today’s meeting was convened as resolved during an earlier meeting held at Dikhu River on February 3, 2012. Village Council chairmen from Surumi, Lokobo, Lumitsami, Aluphumi, Lumami, Zaphumi, Shetsümi, Zhehuto and Sapotimi attended the meeting and shared their views and opinions. The Sumi village leaders asserted that using of chemicals or dynamites for fishing is totally banned; some of the village leaders also informed that hunting is totally banned in their village jurisdiction.
But some of the village leaders expressed their concern for the livelihood of the village citizens since they depend on the Dikhu River for their sustenance through fishing and sale of forest products, or cultivating paddy fields in the Dikhu area. Thus, no concrete decision could be arrived at the meeting and the participants resolved to meet once again on March 28 next.
Nonetheless, the representatives from Ungma and Longsa villages cleared all doubts in the mind of the Sumi villagers and said that there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to conservation, and that the whole process of conservation of biodiversity at the Dikhu River area was done with the noble aim of safeguarding the ecology in the face of global warming and climate change which is affecting the whole world.
The Sumi villagers said that they would take the message to the people in their respect villages, gather their consensus and hopefully a ‘memorandum’ like the one reached between Ungma and Longsa villages in Mokokchung would be arrived at the March 28 as scheduled.
The TGZPC also appealed the villagers that whatever little effort on conservation the villages can do today would be for the benefit of the future generation and a little step towards combating global warming and maintaining the ecological balance in the community.
Officials from NEPED and also consultants from FES (Foundation for Ecological Security) also shared their knowledge on conservation and educated the villages on the need of conservation in the society.
