Imphal, Feb 2 (IANS): Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday raised concerns over the degradation of the environment and the extinction of water sources due to large-scale deforestation.

Stressing the need to use groundwater as a source of water, the Chief Minister informed that more than 500 ground drilling pumps had been set up under the Minor Irrigation Department.

Speaking at a function, organised on the occasion of World Wetlands Day 2025 at Leishang Hiden, Canchipur, he highlighted the state government’s initiatives to rejuvenate water bodies.

He mentioned that the restoration of Yaral-pat had been done. The rejuvenation of the Lamphelpat Waterbody project had been taken up with a project cost of around Rs 650 crores.

The Chief Minister informed that the beautification of various rivers including the Imphal River and Kongba River would be taken up with a project cost of Rs 86 crore.

Singh sought the support of the people in the state government’s initiatives to safeguard the indigenous people of the state and other development initiatives.

Noting that he himself had much concern for the environment, the Chief Minister recalled the dilapidated condition of the Nambul River some years back.

The Chief Minister stated that the cleaning process of the river was started when he was the Forest and Environment Minister (in the Congress government) in 2004.

After becoming the Chief Minister of Manipur in 2017, the rejuvenation and conservation work of the Nambul River continued and the household wastes along the Nambul River are brought through pipelines and are being treated at the Water treatment plant at Mongsangei, he said.

A Manipur government report said that deforestation, due to mass poppy cultivation, resulted in several adverse impacts on the ecosystem, including soil erosion, a loss of biodiversity, and changes in the local climate, the report said.