‘Increasing Cuckoo population in Manipur not good sign’

Imphal: Technical committee (State Wetland Authority, Manipur) chairman Kh. Shamungou cautioned that increasing number of Cuckoos population in Manipur is not a good sign, but could be taken as a biological change indicator that has been changing in the last few decades.

Shamungou was speaking during first interaction programme for 5th Media Fellows (2024-2025) on Climate Change Reporting held at State Botanical Garden, Khonghampat, Imphal on Saturday.

Shamungou said Cuckoos live in hot weather. With the changing of weather and climate, the bird started to witness since 1980. With the increase in changing of weather in Manipur the population of the bird has increased in 2013-14.

Earlier before 1980’s the temperature in Manipur was recorded as 30 degree with slight fluctuation but with the increase in deforestation the temperature in Manipur was recorded 40 degree Celsius in the last few days, he added.

He said Manipur has started witnessing sudden change in weather and the natural remedy of the issue could be only solved by afforestation and mass tree plantation.

Chief scientist (CSIR- Northeast Institute of Science and technology), H. Birkumar said climate change is a natural phenomena and every place will face the issue of climate change without disturbing the environmental surroundings. However, in some places the issue of climate change face at faster rate if the environmental surroundings are disturbed.

He said in the last few years Manipur faces untimely rainfall and shifting of rainfall from one place to another. A policy is needed for tree plantation. If tree plantation is done after analysing the particular soil of the particular place, most of the tree plantation programmes can be successful.

He opined that for rejuvenation of forest, undisturbed plants or trees in the area should be identified as without identifying those plants and trees, rejuvenation of forest will be hard.

During the programme media fellows interacted with the experts on various topics including heatwave like nature and drought like situation that has been facing in the state.

Editors from Imphal Free Press, Irengbam Arun; Sangai Express (Manipur Edition), Khogendro Khomdram; editor of Imphal Review of Arts and Politics, Pradip Phanjoubam and others attended during the programme.

Director, directorate of Environment and Climate change, Manipur, T. Brajakumar Singh also took part in the programme as expert.