𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 [English
Version]
No. 2023/6
JICA
team visits Kamalanagar; hope for positive outcome
Kamalanagar,
26 February, 2023: A team of delegates from Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) headed by Dg. Akihito Sakurai who came from Lawngtlai yesterday
interacted with various Head of Departments in a meeting organized by Chakma
Autonomous District Council today in the Conference Hall of CADC Rest House,
Kamalanagar. He was accompanied by Dr.
Michiko Ebato, Co-Team Leader; Dr. Sanjay Verma, Dgb. Keiko Kani, Dg. Ryunosuke
Ogawa, Dg. Dinesh Kumar and Dg. Shalabh P. Bharadwaj.
Dg.
Pronit Bikash Chakma, Executive Secretary, CADC; Dg. Buddhankur Chakma, Sr.
Finance & Accounts Officer, CADC; Dg. Prabin Chakma, Planning &
Development Officer, CADC; Dg. Bimbisar Dewan, District Council Conservator of
Forest, CADC; Dg. Jagadish Chakma, District Council Horticulture Officer, CADC;
Dg. Nilo Ranjan Chakma, Assistant Conservator of Forest, CADC and Dg. Suman
Chakma, Assistant Information & Public Relation Officer, CADC among others
have attended the meeting.
A
Souvenir of CADC Golden Jubilee, CADC Notebook and a Calendar of CADC was
presented to all the visiting members as a token of gift from CADC.
Dg.
Pronit Bikash Chakma while welcoming the visiting team members expressed his
happiness for their visit to Kamalanagar and their keen interest towards CADC
and its people. He informed that this visit to CADC from an International
Agency like JICA is the first of its kind as CADC is one of the remotest and
underdeveloped part of the country. He gave a brief report on CADC and
appraised many challenges which bar the path for its development. He mentioned
that only a meagre amount is left from the non-salary component meant for
development which is not even enough for the maintenance of Offices is one of
the reasons that CADC is lagging behind in every spheres. With the visit of the
JICA team, the people of CADC not only will be beneficial but also certain
structural development like roads will take place even though it is still at
rudimentary stage to say, he added.
People
will earn permanent livelihood through alternative source of income other than
jhum cultivation when certain projects under JICA will be taken up in the time
to come, he further added.
Dg.
Akihito Sakurai informed that the purpose of their visit to Kamalanagar is to
study and access the conditions for conservation of forest and its biodiversity
within CADC area and the feasibility of projects under JICA in CADC. He invited
all to share their views on the subjects accordingly. After which a round of
interaction with the team members was held with respective Head of Departments.
Dg.
Bimbisar Dewan presented a report on climate, forest cover and its types,
vegetation, demography, socio-economic life of the people and bio-graphical
importance of forest in CADC area. He mentioned that the area of CADC is
comparatively small with an area of 686.25 sq. km, from which approximately 76%
is forestland but, due to lack of alternative source of income majority of the
population depend on jhum cultivation for their livelihood. Out of 15, 572
families (as per Village Population Register, 2022), more than 70% of the
families depend on jhum cultivation and agricultural activities for their
permanent livelihood.
Dg.
Prabin Chakma while explaining mentioned that a project on Bamboo Plantation in
the wasteland area outside Indo-Bangla Border Fencing in the western part of
CADC was submitted to the Finance Commission sometime back, but the project
never materialized and hence no such project on forest conservation was made
again.
However,
he mentioned that with the increasing population, some are eying the virgin
forest in the catchment area of Palenosora, which is the only source of water
left to feed the populace of Kamalanagar town area. He also mentioned, earlier,
the sound of the flow of water in the rivers of the nearby area can be heard
from a distant place but, now the amount of water that flows decreased so much
that it has left to nothing in some parts. From this we can deduce that the
forest is massively damaged though without any reliable data, he added.
Dg.
Buddhankur Chakma explained about the financial status of CADC and how some
Department in CADC is left to skeleton due to lack of fund and project. He
mentioned that it is true that the Soil & Water Conservation Department has
scope to contribute for conservation of soil and water but, due to lack of
funds it is simply an idle department.
He
thanked Young Chakma Association (YCA), a community-based organization and
Tharum, a forest-based organization for their endeavours in protecting and preserving
the forest in CADC. Both the organizations support the authority as and when
necessary, he added.
The
meeting was concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Prabin Chakma.
After
which the team went to visit the Central Nursery at Sadarasora. They will leave
for Aizawl today.
The
visit to CADC was a part of their field visit to different districts of Mizoram
including 3 Autonomous District Councils namely Chakma, Lai and Mara Autonomous
District Council of Mizoram.
Published
by Information & Public Relations Dept., CADC
