Vedpal Singh, IFS, along with Dr Sentitula, IFS, district officials and community leaders during the inauguration of Nagar Van Meraküm Tzüin at Meraküm Tzüin, Mokokchung on December 3. (Morung Photo)
Community-led urban forest model launched with vision for conservation, culture, and climate resilience
Morung Express News
Mokokchung | December 3
The Mokokchung Forest Division on Wednesday inaugurated Nagar Van Meraküm Tzüin, a 50-hectare community-led urban forest model envisioned as a landmark for ecological restoration, cultural memory, and climate resilience. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Meraküm Tzüin site in Mokokchung district.
In his address as the special guest, Vedpal Singh, IFS, PCCF & HOFF & CWLW, Nagaland, emphasised the primary purpose of Nagar Van—reviving the lost connection between urban populations and forests.
Singh commended the collaboration between the Mokokchung Village community, the Forest Division, and the district administration. He encouraged the establishment of monitoring boards to document biodiversity changes over time, such as bird species count and improvements in ecological indicators. “This small step will grow into a major model for Nagaland and beyond,” he remarked.
He referred to global examples, including Japan’s concept of forest bathing and various international studies linking greenery to human wellbeing. “The happiness and calm one receives from simply walking in nature is immense,” he said, adding that “Nagar Van aims to restore this ancient relationship between humans and nature.”
Delivering the welcome and keynote address, Dr Sentitula, IFS, DFO Mokokchung Forest Division, recounted the origins of the project, which began in July 2023 through dialogue between the Forest Department, Mokokchung Village Council, church bodies, and the community.
She shared that the Nagar Van occupies a once-fallowed landscape rich with ancestral memory—formerly a jhum field at Yakong Pok—holding traces of old cultivation, sacred groves, vanished wildlife, and cultural stories. “Meraküm Tzüin is a grand waterfall that signifies our values, our significance, and our identity. This Nagar Van is not only ecological restoration—it is cultural continuity,” she said.
Dr Sentitula highlighted that the project now features afforestation with native species, 546 concrete steps forming an eco-trail, a wilderness shelter, viewpoints and gazebos, a bio-amphitheatre for cultural and ecological storytelling, and a Bible Garden. “This Nagar Van is a model for the entire country—a space where conservation, livelihood, and culture converge,” she added.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ajit Kumar Verma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung, described the inauguration as a historic milestone in environmental stewardship. Verma underscored the relevance of urban forests at a time when global conversations around climate change, biodiversity loss, and urban environmental challenges are intensifying.
“As Mokokchung expands and faces issues such as congestion, pollution, and waste management, spaces like this provide balance, regeneration, and ecological stability. This is a model of community–department partnership that can be replicated across the state,” Verma asserted.
He urged the community to preserve the land, maintain the site, and explore sustainable revenue models for long-term upkeep, while also stressing the need to codify traditional knowledge for future use, especially in medicinal and ecological documentation.
Mapuyanger, Chairman of the Mokokchung Village Council, and Rongsenlemla, IFS, Conservator of Forests (NTC), also addressed the gathering.
