Manipur Government declares Heibok Ching Hillock as a Reserved Forest

Guwahati: Manipur government has decided to conduct a survey of the various molehills scattered across the valley region, many of which have been deprived of their forest cover due to deforestation and excavation. The State Government has declared the sacred Heibok Ching Hillock located at Langthabal in Imphal West district, as a Reserved Forest.

The State Government, in a bid to conserve the environment and biodiversity, has declared the sacred Heibok Ching Hillock located at Langthabal in Imphal West district, as a Reserved Forest under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

This was informed by Health & Family Welfare and IPR Minister, Sapam Ranjan Singh during a press briefing at DIPR Auditorium in Nityapat Chuthek on Thursday, following a Cabinet meeting that was held earlier on the day.


Ranjan, stated that Heibok Ching is revered for its natural beauty and biodiversity. He asserted that the government, recognising the need to protect this hillock, declared it as a Reserved Forest, adding that the government also aims to preserve the unique landscape and ecological value of the hillock.

“Additionally, the Cabinet has decided to conduct a survey of the various molehills scattered across the valley region, many of which have been deprived of their forest cover due to deforestation and excavation”, the Minister stated.

The Cabinet also decided that there will be a survey, following which each molehill will be reviewed and a decision will be made to categorise them as either Reserved or Protected Forests, he maintained.

He noted that Heibok Ching was previously designated as a revenue village under the name “68-Heibok Ching” in a gazette notification issued on December 2, 2014, as per Section 2(w) of the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act, 1960. He added that this gazette will now be amended to reflect its new status as a Reserved Forest.

The Minister went on to say that the Cabinet has also approved the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (8th Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 in addition to these environmental measures. He asserted that the amendment aligns with the decisions made during the GST Council meetings in July and September, which mandates all the States to follow the national guidelines set by the GST Council.

Since the State Assembly is not currently in session, the cabinet has also approved the ordinance to implement the necessary changes, Ranjan said.

The ethnic violence between the non-tribals Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out in the northeastern state on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

So far, over 230 people have been killed in the strife. As many as 11,133 houses have been set on fire, out of which 4,569 homes have been completely destroyed. A total of 11,892 cases have been registered in different police stations in connection with the ethnic violence. The state government has established 302 relief camps to provide shelter to 59,414 internally displaced persons.