N Munal Meitei Mountains are one of the oldest nature’s pristine structures, stolid and regal they stand against the sky, of such a size that they can catch entire countryside’s in their shadow, and turn back the ravages of storms against their unflinching sides. They are the source of recreation and resource, with stones of green dressed slopes to enthusiasts, and to those brave enough to delve into their stony sides. Mountains are one of the most beautiful and interesting geological features that nature has to offer us. Mountains have served as playgrounds and places of worship for countless generations - a mainstay for so many people and cultures. International Mountain Day is observed on 11 December to celebrate the beauty of mountains and their values. Mountains are recognized as particularly sensitive physical environments where intense and rapid changes have taken place in the past and may increasingly in the future. Manipur being with 90% hills have the relevance to...
by M.T. Saju An experiment in Tamil Nadu notes the success of nursery bags made of palmyra over those made of plastic, for the nurturing and transplantation of mangrove seedlings during ecological restoration activities. Mangrove seedlings showed good growth like they did in plastic bags and higher durability against water inundation. They were also able to spread roots better in palmyra bags. Traditional crafts involving palmyra leaves constitute an important source of livelihood for locals in the district of Thanjavur. Sitting near her thatched hut, Achikkannu reaches for a set of dried palmyra ( Borassus flabellifer ) leaves kept on a fence, made of broken fishing nets. She cuts the leaves into equal parts. Despite her struggles with frequent bouts of flu, she can weave a nursery bag in 40 minutes with dried palmyra leaves. Like many women in Kollukkadu, a coastal village in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, this 70-year-old depends on these leaves for a livelihood. ...
by Azera Parveen Rahman Assam’s tea growers who are dealing with high production costs and low profit margins have turned to growing the ‘perfume tree’, agarwood for financial viability. Agarwood, native to Assam and parts of northeast India, is critically endangered (IUCN). The Assam government has announced incentives encouraging tea growers to raise agarwood boundary plantations. While this would draw economic benefits, there is scepticism that agarwood would hamper tea by lowering its productivity. Assam’s tea growers are battling many challenges — high production costs, low profit margin, labour problems, and of late, coal shortage. Amid all this, they have found a window of opportunity, the critically endangered agarwood tree, that promises a symbiotic relationship in which they can both benefit from each other. Agarwood, or Aquilaria malaccensis , is native to Assam and parts of northeast India. Although its use is varied — as an aromatic, medicine, and for rel...
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