Manipur forest dept signs 5-year pact to revive Imphal Valley springs

Manipur's Forest Department has signed an agreement with a local non-profit to restore the springs and forest catchments that feed the Imphal Valley, in a five-year pilot aimed at easing seasonal water shortages.

The Central Forest Division of the department and The Indian Orient 2025, a Manipur-based non-profit, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on October 30 for the pilot phase of the ReTreeFy Project Manipur, India Today NE reported on Sunday. The signing took place in the presence of Anurag Bajpai, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force).

Who does what

Under the pact, the Forest Department will give technical and institutional guidance. The Indian Orient 2025 will lead on-ground work, scientific studies and interventions, and mobilise communities and resources.

Bajpai said the project should be led by communities, with local residents involved right from the planning stage.

Ajay Chanam of The Indian Orient 2025 said springs and freshwater systems had been declining because forests and catchments were degraded. He pointed to changes in groundwater recharge, more surface runoff, flooding and seasonal water scarcity.

The five-year plan

The pilot will identify, protect and restore critical springsheds, the recharge areas that feed springs, supplying the Imphal Valley. Planned work includes:

• an inventory and GIS mapping of springs and their catchments;
• hydrogeological studies of recharge zones and spring discharge;
• soil and water conservation works;
• planting along riverbanks and planting native species;
• regular scientific monitoring of water and ecological results.

The project will also set up local Water Resource and Conservation Committees to manage water at community level. Village nurseries and residents will raise saplings and plant and look after them, which organisers hope will provide green livelihoods.

The aim, according to the report, is a scientifically grounded and community-owned model that could be repeated in other parts of the state.

Part of a longer vision

The pilot is one piece of ReTreeFy Manipur's broader plan for 2025 to 2095, drawn up by The Indian Orient 2025. It seeks to regenerate the landscape with indigenous fruit-bearing and flowering trees, conserve rivers, create steady community income and support nature-based tourism.

Why it matters

Springs are the main source of drinking water for many hill and foothill communities in the Northeast, and studies by government agencies such as NITI Aayog have flagged that many Himalayan springs are drying or turning seasonal. In the Imphal Valley, where demand has grown with the population, restoring the catchments in the surrounding hills is seen as key to steady water supply.