Reassessing The Wood Charcoal Production in The Wake of Poppy Cultivation Menace In Manipur, India

Abstract

Charcoal is one of the important energy sources in Manipur. The production and consumption charcoal in Manipur is an old age practice. In the state of Manipur, the production of charcoal is one of the significant unorganised forest-based industry. This industry has a close tie to the traditional Jhum cultivation practices, which involve slash-and-burn. The demand for charcoal is particularly high in urban and semi-urban areas of Manipur. Charcoal has a wide range of traditional applications in the state, including heating, cooking, blacksmithing, and   dry fish processing. The charcoal industry is confronted with challenges that are associated with practices that are un sustainable, market dynamics that are not equitable, and a lack of governance, all of which contribute to the overexploitation of resources. The paper is an attempt to find out the possible way to chart out the traditionally viable means to re-assessing the benefit of charcoal production in a scientific way for a sustainable livelihood, in the wake of political ecology of poppy cultivation menaces in the state. Newly emergent threat of conversion of huge area of land to poppy cultivation is a reality, which is more environmentally damaging than charcoal production needs to analyse properly.  Efforts are needed being made to promote more sustainable methods of producing charcoal. These methods include the utilization of renewable resources and the improvement of production technologies. Additionally, policy initiatives are needs in order to regulate the green charcoal chain market.