Lumami, September 29 (MExN): An impact assessment of the Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) Plan, Doyang Hydro Electric Project (DHEP), was carried out by the Geography Department of Nagaland University, Lumami on September 27 and 28.
A group of 16 students accompanied by the faculty-in-charge Dr. Wangshimenla Jamir and two field staff assisted by officers and staff of Forest and Soil Departments visited various villages in the Doyang Catchment Area. They visited the plantation areas and soil and moisture conservation works carried out in these villages under Doyang CAT Plan and interacted with the presidents and members of the Village Forest Committees (VFC). They also visited the Doyang Dam area, the internationally acclaimed Amur Falcon roosting area at Pangti.
A press release stated that a closing programme of the visit was held at the NEEPCO Guest House with Dr. Ramesh Aima, IFS, Additional PCCF (Territorial) as the chief guest and DS Rai, Head of Project, DHEP, NEEPCO, as the guest of honour. Zuthunglo Patton, IFS, DFO Wokha, chaired the programme and Supongnukshi Ao, IFS, delivered a special introductory note about CAT Plan to the gathering of faculty, staff and students of NU, VFC Presidents and officers and staff of Forest Department.
Khekiho Shohe spoke about the SMC works carried out in the Doyang Catchment Area. Dr. Toiho Sema, Senior Technical Assistant of NU gave a brief report about the visit and activities that they had been involved in over a period of two days as well as some preliminary observations. On behalf of the VFC Presidents, Jerry Patton of Old Riphyim village appealed to the Government to carry on the good work that CAT Plan had achieved on a pilot basis in just 20 Catchment Area villages and also to further include the other untreated areas in the next phase. Yanarao Mozhui, Forester-II and Field-in-charge, CAT Plan, also spoke about the achievements of CAT Plan thus far and the practical problems involve to be addressed in the next phase.
The chief guest inaugurated the website of Doyang Plantation Division which could be achieved through this CAT Plan for even greater spread of awareness and publicity. Speaking about the degrading forests of our state and the urgency with which we need to increase our green cover, the chief guest expressed that project such as CAT Plan has been instrumental in involving the community towards achieving this goal. The programme concluded with vote of thanks by Jweni Semp, RFO Doyang.
