Newmai News Network Imphal | June 23 The Manipur Government has mooted banning of 'air-guns' and 'barrel guns' in the State saying such act will help conserve rare species of birds and animals. On Friday, Manipur Forests and Environment Minister, Thounaojam Shyamkumar said that “prohibition of air guns and barrel guns will help in the conservation of the precious and rare species of birds and animals” in the State. The minister said that in the next Cabinet meet he will introduce a proposal in which 'barrel gun' licence holders will be made to use 'smaller firearms' instead. He was speaking during the inauguration of the State Level Stakeholder Workshop for ‘Management Planning of Keibul Lamjao National Park and Conservation of Sangai’ in Imphal organised by the Forest Department, Manipur and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. He also said that the State Government is planning to make Keibul Lamjao into an eco-tourism park. Stressing the need to give awareness, training and livelihood to the locals living around the National Park to conserve and preserve the Keibul Lamjao National Park and Sangai, Minister Shyamkumar promised all possible helps from the State Government to the officials concerned in this regard. The minister then opined that for conservation and preservation of Sangai, the people of the State must have an emotional connection towards the State animal. “We must use the medium of folk song, drama, storytelling including documentary films so that the common man and the new generation of children have an emotional attachment towards the endangered brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur, and it is able to flourish in abundance in its natural habitat,” he added. Sambhu Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests & Environment), officials of State Forest Department, officials of Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and scientists also attended the workshop.
