A Sacred Grove In Manipur Racing Against Time To Conserve Ecology. 'Recent Developments' Thwart All Efforts

The northeastern flank of the country has two declared Biodiversity Heritage Sites: Majuli in Assam and Dailong in Manipur. Majuli, the world's largest river island is no stranger to the world and it checks all the right boxes when it comes to conservation, awareness and people's general curiosity about the place. Dailong, on the other hand, is a bit of an underdog and for all the wrong reasons.

Located in the Tamenglong district of Manipur, Dailong is one of the oldest villages of the Zeliangrong Nagas. For centuries it has been a place well protected by the locals.

Local villagers gathering forest produce in Tamenglong.

In May of 2017, the Manipur Government declared Dailong village as a Biodiversity Heritage Site, the first and only in the state and the second in the whole of northeast India.

The village covers a total area of 11.35 sq km and is home to centuries old forests once rich in wildlife and citrus indica or the Indian wild orange, also known as the parent species of all cultivated citrus fruits in the world. How's that for significance?

To be fair, Dailong is not the only home to citrus indica or the Indian wild orange, Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in Meghalaya shares the spotlight. These two places are the only ones in the whole world where this species is found. Locally, the Indian wild orange is called Biuriangthai.

Buning meadow in Tamenglong

Conservation is not a new concept to the people of Dailong village. For centuries the villagers have been protecting their forest which is also their source of livelihood and food. Pockets of forest are treated as sacred grove, one of which is Rangan, now a popular site for fun outing.

This sacred grove provides the locals food as well as important traditional medicines. For decades, the locals have been protecting this local forests but recent "developments" in the area has led to disappointing, if not frightening, results.

Dailong is now falling prey to illegal timber logging which is destroying the once thick forest, one fallen tree at a time. The rule of the land is definitely lagging behind somewhere which gives immense courage to these illegal loggers from within and outside of the state. Loss of large forest areas have led to the decimation of many species of plants and animals. Village elders now only have their memories of kamang (royal Bengal tiger), loud and not-so-distant calls of apaeng (Hoolock gibbons) and the flap of the wings of great Indian hornbills. Spotting these species is a thing of the long gone past.

Forest of Dailong Biodiversity Heritage Site has many beautiful waterfalls.

When we speak of Dailong, it is imperative to keep Tamenglong in picture. It is safe to say that Tamenglong district of Manipur has a list of hurdles to overcome before the Biodiversity Heritage Site even gets the recognition it deserves. Hope appears as the district is now coming together one tiny step at a time in fighting the age-old tradition of hunting.

The community, once engaged predominantly in hunting, has now opened its eyes and is starting to see the bigger picture, the pros and cons of (over) utilising the natural resources. It is refreshing to see the efforts of many local conservationists when it comes to protecting the yearly visitors, the Amur falcons. Yes, it is not just Pangti in Wokha, Nagaland. Grassroot level awareness programmes in the district has brought about many changes in the districts, in the mindsets of the locals once big supporters of hunting these birds and other wildlife.

It¡¯s a domino effect but towards the greater good of the community and nature. But even in the midst of all these developments, one kind of development is starting to feel more like a hurdle: the expansive road and railway construction.

It is without a doubt that development is necessary but should it come with a heavy price?

INDIATIMES

Large tracts of land, forests and hills are cut for this purpose and no visible sustainable measures have been taken to overcome the loss of land and forest. It is imperative to keep in mind that most of these ¡°developmental¡± activities have occured in the tribal lands.

The indigenous tribes living in Manipur are protected under Article 371, clause C of the Indian Constitution, Manipur District Council Act 1971. A total of 111 km railway line in the state cuts through some of the most pristine patch of forest land, affecting the forest and rivers. This is in fact, in gross violation of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980.

Biodiversity Heritage Site in Dailong is a small but undeniably important part of the state. Protecting, conserving and giving it its due recognition is important. It should not take a total decimation of a species or forest to bring everybody¡¯s attention to an important natural and cultural site such as Dailong.

Forest of Dailong Biodiversity Heritage Site.

In May 2016, a Rapid Biodiversity Assessment field survey was conducted in the Longku Forest of Dailong village, under the aegis of Manipur Biodiversity Board, headed by Dr. R.K Birjit Singh of Centre for Conservation of Nature & Cultivation of Science (CCNCS), Manipur. The survey led to the discovery of important species of flora, fauna, amphibians, reptiles and lepidoptera in the region.

The region is also home to forest types such as Montane Wet Temperate Forest, Tropical Evergreen Forest, Semi Evergreen Forest and Riparian forest. The study showcased over 159 species of flora out of which 16 were medicinal, Indian wild orange was one of the discovered species. A total of 101 species of birds, 71 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies) of which some were threatened and endemic, eight species of mammals including the critically endangered Chinese pangolin, five species of amphibians and 10 species of snakes that also includes the very rare and endemic Cherrapunji Keelback were reported from the site.

Apart from the rich flora and fauna, the site also has five geographical landscapes that are important from the heritage point of view: Joulangpang©\Khoukao waterfalls, Tinglup waterfalls, Lamtuai (bat) cave, Taodai Balei (Rock with tongue) and the Rangan.

Precious Kamei is an independent writer and journalist.

Illustrations by Ranak Mann/ Picture Credit: Rainforest Club Tamenglong