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CHAPTER I
BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES,
METHODOLOG AND CHAPTERIZATION

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INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
Youth is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to
adulthood’s independence. That is why, as a category, youth is more fluid than the other age
groups. Yet, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in relation to education
and employment, because ‘youth’ is often referred to a person between the ages of living
compulsory education, and finding their first job.
The United Nations, for statistical purposes, defines youth as those persons between the ages
of 15-24 years, without prejudice to other definition by member states. The secretary- general
first referred to the current definition of youth in 1981 in his report to the general assembly
on international youth year (A/36/215, para. Eight of the annex) and indorsed it in ensuring
reports a (40/256, para. 19 of the annex). However, in both the reports, the secretary-General
also recognised that, a part from that statistical definition, the meaning of the term ‘youth’
varies in different societies around the world, when the General assembly, by its resolution
50/81 in 1995, adopted the word programme of action for youth to the year 2000 and beyond,
it reiterated that the United Nation defines youth as the age cohort of 15-24.
While each country had adopted different maximum years ranging from 24 to 40. In India,
it is taken as 16-30 years according to the draft NYP 2012; India has the largest youth
population in the world that is poised to increased further in the coming decade 70% of
India’s population is below the age of 35 years, according to the initial figures of the 2011
census, the youth population in the country including adolescents in around 550 million. This
pool of youth population needs to be engaged in the mainstream development of India. They
are not just the future, but also the present national policy makers are giving increasing focus
and high priority to youth development at international forums and what the development of
their latent potential holds for the future.
Around the world millions of young people are becoming involved locally, internationally
and globally through new programmes and infrastructure emerging approaches to
environmental governance required a greater level of community participation than did

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previous approaches in which these responsibilities largely rested with government agencies (
youth population of India: planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/committee/…/wg-
repadolsent.pdf and http://census india.gov.in)
1.1 Definition of Youth in India
The national youth policy 2003 covers all the youth in the country in the age group of 13 to
35 years. It is acknowledge that since the entire person within this group are unlikely to be
one homogenous group, but rather a conglomeration of sub-groups with different social roles
and requirements, the age group may, therefore, be divided into two broad sub-groups viz.
13-19 years and 20-35 years. The youth belonging to the age group of 13-19, with the major
parts of the adolescent age group, will be regarded as a separate constituency.
The National Youth Policy documents of 2003 covers the age group of 13-35 whereas the
NYP 2012 aims to covers the age-bracket of 16-30 years however, it need to be recognized
that all young people within this age group will are likely to be a homogenous group, sharing
common concerns and needs and having different roles and responsibilities. It is, therefore,
necessary to divide this broad age brackets into three sub-groups:
 The first sub-group of 16-21 years also covers adolescent whose needs and areas of
concerns are substantially from youth under the other age groups.
 The second age group of 21-25 years includes those who re in the process of
completing their education and getting into a career.
 The third group of 26-30 years comprises of young women and men most of whom
have completed their education, including professionals, and are more or less, settled
in their job and in their personal life.
1.2 Recent Issues and Trend of Environment in India
The environmental problems which may arise in India, due to population growth, increased
industrial and agricultural activities, and depletion of natural resources in the next 25 years,
are discussed here. Selected aspects of problems which require special attention are treated
with particular emphasis on rural situations. The present status of the various aspects of
human settlement—such as quality of air, water, sanitation, health, and housing—as well as
aspects of conservation of forests, soils, and wildlife, is outlined as far as possible in a

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quantitative manner. It is visualized that environmental management will have to be more
serious and of growing dimensions in the coming years.
It emerges from the study that two of the most serious problems which India may face in 25
years' time are water pollution and deforestation. By A.D. 2000, population in India is
projected to reach around 950 million, 65% of whom would be living in rural areas. The
environment's capacity to absorb the concomitant wastes and pollution would be significantly
reduced through the consequent growth of human activities. At present, in the rural areas, the
percentage of population with piped water-supply and exclusive sanitation facilities is less
than 10%. Unless drastic measures are taken, this percentage may not exceed 30% by A.D.
2000. Without appropriate sewerage and sanitation facilities, the accumulated wastes could
mix with open-water resources, so leading to high levels of water pollution. The effects of
mixing agricultural runoff containing wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers, in the rural water-
sources, would also need consideration.
The current practice in the rural areas of obtaining more than 90% of domestic fuels from
non-commercial sources—firewood, animal dung, and agricultural wastes—even if
considerably reduced, may continue and lead to deforestation and hence to soil erosion,
floods, climatic changes, and loss of precious varieties of flora and fauna. Such burning leads
to air pollution as well.
Apart from the problems of water pollution and deforestation, the problems of the urban areas
include increasing slums, inadequate transportation facilities, and industrial pollution—all of
which would have to be dealt with. Finally, the present status of environmental legislation is
reviewed, and certain policies and intense efforts for generating environmental awareness are
recommended
1.3 Major Environmental Issues
Major environmental issues are forest and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion
(water, mineral, forest, sand, rocks etc.), environmental degradation, public health, loss
of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor.
The major sources of pollution in India include the rampant burning of fuelwood and biomass
such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy, lack of organised garbage
and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and
monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices
near major rivers, government mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport,

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and continued operation by Indian government of government owned, high emission plants
built between 1950 to 1980.
Air pollution, poor management of waste, growing water scarcity, falling groundwater tables,
water pollution, preservation and quality of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil
degradation are some of the major environmental issues India faces today.
India's population growth adds pressure to environmental issues and its resources.
a) Population growth and environmental quality
There is a long history of study and debate about the interactions between population growth
and the environment. According to a British thinker Malthus, for example, a growing
population exerts pressure on agricultural land, causing environmental degradation, and
forcing the cultivation of land of poorer as well as poorer quality. This environmental
degradation ultimately reduces agricultural yields and food availability, causes famines and
diseases and death, thereby reducing the rate of population growth.
Population growth, because it can place increased pressure on the assimilative capacity of the
environment, is also seen as a major cause of air, water, and solid-waste pollution. The result,
Malthus theorised, is an equilibrium population that enjoys low levels of both income and
environmental quality. Malthus suggested positive and preventative forced control of human
population, along with abolition of poor laws.
Malthus theory, published between 1798 and 1826, has been analysed and criticised ever
since. The American thinker Henry George, for example, observed with his characteristic
piquancy in dismissing Malthus: "Both the jayhawk and the man eat chickens; but the more
jayhawks, the fewer chickens, while the more men, the more chickens." Similarly, the
American economist Julian Lincoln Simon criticised Malthus's theory. He noted that the facts
of human history have proven the predictions of Malthus and of the Neo-Malthusians to be
flawed. Massive geometric population growth in the 20th century did not result in
a Malthusian catastrophe. The possible reasons include: increase in human knowledge, rapid
increases in productivity, innovation and application of knowledge, general improvements in
farming methods (industrial agriculture), mechanisation of work (tractors), the introduction of
high-yield varieties of wheat and other plants (Green Revolution), the use of pesticides to
control crop pests.
More recent scholarly articles concede that whilst there is no question that population growth
may contribute to environmental degradation, its effects can be modified by economic growth

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and modern technology. Research in environmental economics has uncovered a relationship
between environmental quality, measured by ambient concentrations of air pollutants and per
capita income. This so-called environmental Kuznets curve shows environmental quality
worsening up until about $5,000 of per capita income on purchasing parity basis, and
improving thereafter. The key requirement, for this to be true, is continued adoption of
technology and scientific management of resources, continued increases in productivity in
every economic sector, entrepreneurial innovation and economic expansion.
b) Water pollution
India has major water pollution issues. Discharge of untreated sewage is the single most
important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India. There is a large gap
between generation and treatment of domestic waste water in India. The problem is not only
that India lacks sufficient treatment capacity but also that the sewage treatment plants that
exist do not operate and are not maintained. The majority of the government-owned sewage
treatment plants remain closed most of the time due to improper design or poor maintenance
or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants, together with absentee employees
and poor management. The waste water generated in these areas normally percolates in the
soil or evaporates. The uncollected wastes accumulate in the urban areas cause unhygienic
conditions and release pollutants that leach to surface and groundwater.
According to a World Health Organization study, out of India's 3,119 towns and cities, just
209 have partial sewage treatment facilities, and only 8 have full wastewater treatment
facilities. Over 100 Indian cities dump untreated sewage directly into the Ganges
River. Investment is needed to bridge the gap between 29000 million litres per day of sewage
India generates, and a treatment capacity of mere 6000 million litres per day. Other sources
of water pollution include agriculture run off and small scale factories along the rivers and
lakes of India. Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture in northwest have been found in
rivers, lakes and ground water. Flooding during monsoons worsens India's water pollution
problem, as it washes and moves all sorts of solid garbage and contaminated soils into its
rivers and wetlands.
c) Air pollution
Air pollution in India is a serious issue with the major sources being fuelwood and biomass
burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emission and traffic congestion. Air pollution is also the
main cause of the Asian brown cloud, which is causing the monsoon to be delayed. India is

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the world's largest consumer of fuelwood, agricultural waste and biomass for energy
purposes. Traditional fuel (fuelwood, crop residue and dung cake) dominates domestic
energy use in rural India and accounts for about 90% of the total. In urban areas, this
traditional fuel constitutes about 24% of the total. Fuel wood, agriculture-waste and biomass
cake burning releases over 165 million tonnes of combustion products into India's indoor and
outdoor air every year. These biomass-based household stoves in India are also a leading
source of greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change. The annual crop burning
practice in northwest India, north India and eastern Pakistan, after monsoons, from October to
December, are a major seasonal source of air pollution. Approximately 500 million tons of
crop residues is burnt in open, releasing smoke, soot, NOx, SOx, PAHs and particulate matter
into the air. This burning has been found to be a leading cause of smog and haze problems
through the winter over Punjab, cities such as Delhi, and major population centres along the
rivers through West Bengal. In other states of India, rice straw and other crop residue burning
in open is a major source of air pollution.
Vehicle emissions are another source of air pollution. Vehicle emissions are worsened by fuel
adulteration and poor fuel combustion efficiencies from traffic congestion and low density of
quality, high speed road network per 1000 people. On per capita basis, India is a small
emitter of carbon dioxide greenhouse. In 2009, IEA estimates that it emitted about 1.4 tons of
gas per person, in comparison to the United States’ 17 tons per person, and a world average
of 5.3 tons per person. However, India was the third largest emitter of total carbon dioxide in
2009 at 1.65 Gt per year, after China (6.9 Gt per year) and the United States (5.2 Gt per year).
With 17 percent of world population, India contributed some 5 percent of human-sourced
carbon dioxide emission; compared to China's 24 percent share. The Air (Prevention and
Control of Pollution) Act was passed in 1981 to regulate air pollution and there have been
some measurable improvements. However, the 2012 Environmental Performance
Index ranked India as having the poorest relative air quality out of 132 countries.
d) Solid Waste Pollution
Trash and garbage is a common sight in urban and rural areas of India. It is a major source of
pollution. Indian cities alone generate more than 100 million tons of solid waste a year. Street
corners are piled with trash. Public places and sidewalks are despoiled with filth and litter,
rivers and canals act as garbage dumps. In part, India's garbage crisis is from rising
consumption. India's waste problem also points to a stunning failure of governance. In 2000,
India's Supreme Court directed all Indian cities to implement a comprehensive waste-

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management programme that would include household collection of segregated waste,
recycling and composting. These directions have simply been ignored. No major city runs a
comprehensive programme of the kind envisioned by the Supreme Court. Indeed, forget
waste segregation and recycling directive of the India's Supreme Court, the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that up to 40 percent of municipal waste
in India remains simply uncollected. Even medical waste, theoretically controlled by
stringent rules that require hospitals to operate incinerators, is routinely dumped with regular
municipal garbage. A recent study found that about half of India's medical waste is
improperly disposed of.
Municipalities in Indian cities and towns have waste collection employees. However, these
are unionised government workers and their work performance is neither measured nor
monitored.
Some of the few solid waste landfills India has, near its major cities, are overflowing and
poorly managed. They have become significant sources of greenhouse emissions and
breeding sites for disease vectors such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats, and other pests.
In 2011, several Indian cities embarked on waste-to-energy projects of the type in use in
Germany, Switzerland and Japan. For example, New Delhi is implementing two incinerator
projects aimed at turning the city’s trash problem into electricity resource. These plants are
being welcomed for addressing the city’s chronic problems of excess untreated waste and a
shortage of electric power. They are also being welcomed by those who seek to prevent water
pollution, hygiene problems, and eliminate rotting trash that produces potent greenhouse gas
methane. The projects are being opposed by waste collection workers and local unions who
fear changing technology may deprive them of their livelihood and way of life.
Along with waste-to-energy projects, some cities and towns such as Pune, Maharashtra is
introducing competition and the privatisation of solid waste collection, street cleaning
operations and bio-mining to dispose the waste. A scientific study suggests public private
partnership is, in Indian context, more useful in solid waste management. According to this
study, government and municipal corporations must encourage PPP-based local management
through collection, transport and segregation and disposal of solid waste.
e) Land and Soil Pollution
In March 2009, the issue of Uranium poisoning in Punjab attracted press coverage. It was
alleged to be caused by fly ash ponds of thermal power stations, which reportedly lead to

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severe birth defects in children in the Faridkot and Bhatinda districts of Punjab. The news
reports claimed the uranium levels were more than 60 times the maximum safe limit. In 2012,
the Government of India confirmed that the ground water in Malwa belt of Punjab has
uranium metal that is 50% above the trace limits set by the United Nations' World Health
Organization. Scientific studies, based on over 1000 samples from various sampling points,
could not trace the source to fly ash and any sources from thermal power plants or industry as
originally alleged. The study also revealed that the uranium concentration in ground water of
Malwa district is not 60 times the WHO limits, but only 50% above the WHO limit in 3
locations. This highest concentration found in samples was less than those found naturally in
ground waters currently used for human purposes elsewhere, such as Finland. Research is
underway to identify natural or other sources for the uranium.
f) Greenhouse Gas Emission
A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and
emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of
the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Without greenhouse gases, the average
temperature of Earth's surface would be about 15 °C (59 °F) colder than the present average
of 14 °C (57 °F). In the Solar System, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain
gases that cause a greenhouse effect. Human activities since the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution (taken as the year 1750) have produced a 40% increase in the atmospheric
concentration of carbon dioxide, from 280 ppm in 1750 to 400 ppm in 2015. This increase
has occurred despite the uptake of a large portion of the emissions by various natural "sinks"
involved in the carbon cycle. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (i.e. emissions
produced by human activities) come from combustion of carbon-based fuels, principally coal,
oil, and natural gas, along with deforestation. India was the third largest emitter of carbon
dioxide in 2009 at 1.65 Gt per year, after China and the United States. With 17 percent of
world population, India contributed some 5 percent of human-sourced carbon dioxide
emission; compared to China's 24 percent share. On per capita basis, India emitted about 1.4
tons of carbon dioxide per person, in comparison to the United States’ 17 tons per person, and
a world average of 5.3 tons per person

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1.4 Youth Participation
The nature, extent and severity of environmental problems vary
tremendously from one part of the world to another. It is perhaps most logical to begin with
an overview of the state of the global environment, providing a snapshot of its present
condition, as well as a more detailed and revealing assessment of past trends and likely future
developments. This level of analysis is justified because certain issues—most notably global
warming and ozone layer depletion—are intrinsically global problems and therefore of
concern to everyone in the world. The damage of our environment is severe; the severity of
our environment can be seen clearly in this present situation through many signs, like climate
change, drought, flood, melting of the ice cape which results in increase in the sea level. The
raw materials endowed to us by the nature in abundance is now in a great danger, our
activities has created severe damaged on the environment through various activities like
Natural resources are not limitless, and the following consequences can arise from the
careless and excessive consumption of these resources:
 Deforestation
 Desertification
 Extinction of species
 Forced migration
 Soil erosion
 Oil depletion
 Ozone depletion
 Greenhouse gas increase
 Extreme energy
 Water pollution
 Natural hazard
 Destruction of natural habitats
 Natural Disaster
Therefore, it is our duty to protect our world, the only place that we all depend for our living.
We must be aware of the losses that we have incurred upon the environment and the result of

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our creation. It is still not too late to get rid of the environmental problems. As a whole we
can set thing right for the coming generation.
Participation: Joint consultation in decision making, goal setting, profit sharing, teamwork,
and other such measures through which a firm attempts to foster or increase
its employees' commitment to collective objectives is called participation. There are different
types of participation they are as follows:
 Public: The engagement of individuals with the various structures and institutions of
democracy. Key to public participation is the relationship between individuals and the
state.
 Social: The collective activities that individuals may be involved in the associations
people form between and for themselves are at the heart of social participation
 Individual; The individual choices and actions that people make as part of their daily
life and that are statements of the kind of society they want to.
The National youth policy Documents of 2003 covers the age group of Youth have both
special concerns and special responsibilities in relation to the environment. A number of
environmental risks and hazards disproportionately affect young people, who have to live for
an extended period with the deteriorating environment bequeathed to them by earlier
generations. Young people will be compelled to engage in new forms of action and activism
that will generate effective responses to ecological challenges. Before we go in to the youth
participation in environmental conservation, it is important to provide some background and
establish a clear context by identifying the current state of the environment.
Youth have both special concerns and special responsibilities in relation to the environment.
A number of environmental risks and hazards disproportionately affect young people, who
have to live for an extended period with the deteriorating environment bequeathed to them by
earlier generations. Young people will be compelled to engage in new forms of action and
activism that will generate effective responses to ecological challenges. Youth have a
stronger awareness of the issues and a greater stake in long-term sustainability, the
environment is one area in which they ought to take the lead. In many countries, a generation
that came of age politically in the 1970s organized and established environmental movements

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and green parties. To combat “the greying of the greens”, a new generation needs to come to
the fore. They will face challenges as pressures are brought to bear in the opposite direction.
The commercialization of every area of life affects young people too. In addition,
technologies that increasingly distance people from the environmental effects of their
consumption decisions are growing with globalization, acting as an impediment to
environmental awareness.
Youth and the Environment World YOUTH Report, 2003, the participation of youth in
environmental protection can be sought at levels and locations ranging from grass-roots
activism and participation in conservation projects to policy-making bodies and NGOs. The
role of youth can be institutionalized in policy-making through advisory bodies such as youth
councils. Many national Governments have ministries or departments with “youth affairs” as
part of their portfolio, though such offices tend to view youth as a population to be addressed
by public policy (often “youth affairs” is part of the education ministry), rather than a
resource to be tapped for participation in policy-making in a variety of areas, including the
environment. Currently, the participation of youth appears to be formalized more extensively
in international governmental organizations than at the national level. For example, UNEP
has a Youth Advisory Council that plays a supportive role. UNDP sponsors training for
young environmental leaders in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern
Europe. Chapter 25 of Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, reads as follows: “It is
imperative that youth from all parts of the world participate actively in all relevant levels of
decision-making processes because it affects their lives today and has implications for their
futures. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they
bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account.” In a similar spirit, paragraph
153 of the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, indicates the need to “promote and support
youth participation in programmes and activities relating to sustainable development.
Supporting local youth councils or their equivalent, and by encouraging their establishment
where they do not exist.” An International Youth Summit was held in Mogwase, South
Africa, prior to the World Summit. Youth Summit delegates established the Youth Caucus,
which was active in the PrepComm meetings leading up to the World Summit. The presence
of the Caucus members induced some countries to include youth representatives in their

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delegations. Relatively few national delegations showed such initiative, however, and among
those that did, many were unable to progress beyond token representation. Only 6 of the 100
national delegations at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the World
Summit in February 2002 had a youth representative. Four of those representatives drafted a
letter urging each delegation to include a youth representative at subsequent meetings; at the
fourth session later in the year, however, only eight delegations had done so. In
Johannesburg, around 40 youth representatives had government passes allowing them entry
to the “official” proceedings of the Summit.
Global gatherings such as the Summit are also attended by NGOs, and youth can play a role
in these organizations as well. The Youth Caucus in Johannesburg included NGO activists as
well as members of government delegations. At UNCED in 1992, thousands of NGO
representatives participated in the Global Forum, a side line event in which debate was more
lively and creative than in the official Conference proceedings. The role of NGOs has
become increasingly institutionalized, so the Johannesburg Summit had a Civil Society
Secretariat independent from the United Nations Secretariat, and around 45,000 people
participated in the Civil Society Global Forum. Any institutionalization may compromise and
blunt the radicalism of NGOs that have a “social movement” component (a concept explored
further below). Protests constitute a standard feature of international conferences; however,
youth tend to be highly represented in them. For example, at a preparatory meeting for the
World Summit in Johannesburg, youth delegates organized a backward march through a
conference session to dramatize the fact that no progress was being made on key sustainable
development issues, and that matters indeed seemed to be moving backward. At the Summit
itself, around 100 youth representatives staged a “round in circles” march up and down the
escalators in the conference centre (though demonstrations inside the centre were banned, the
protesters were not removed).
NGOs operate at all levels, from local to global. In Australia, the Youth Environment Society
declares that its aim is “to inform, inspire and empower Australian youth to make positive
change regarding environmental issues”. Youth and Environment Europe acts as coordinating
organization for 40 national and regional environmental and youth organizations. Aside from
facilitating the exchange of information and experiences, this organization brings together

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young people from different countries to work on conservation projects at camps and
promotes environmental awareness, notably through publications such as its Youth and
Environment magazine. Outside youth-specific NGOs, young people can play various roles
in environmental groups more generally. Some groups are better than others at encouraging
youth participation. For example, the San Francisco-based Earth Island Institute annually
presents Brower Youth Awards to exemplary young environmental activists, who do not have
to be Institute members. Recipients in 2001 included a 16-year-old from New York who
organized a project to turn a desolate urban space into a garden, and an 18-year-old from
North Carolina, who succeeded in persuading an office products retailer to stock recycled
paper. Youth participation through governmental and non-governmental organizations is
important, but there is a place for other kinds of youth action and activism as well.
Environmentalism has many roots—in scientific concern for the well-being of resources and
ecosystems, in philosophical reflections about nature, in concerns about public health, and in
clubs involved initially in providing outdoor recreation opportunities. One particularly
important root is the social movement.
1.5 Indian Youth Participation in Environmental Conservation
1.5.1 CLEAN-India
CLEAN-India being a platform for environmental action for the youth has a strong focus on
giving hands on experience to young environmentalists and green innovators. Thus, we have
programs specially designed to challenge these youngsters. The Programme connects the
Urban Youth to Rural lives. They are exposed to Sustainable livelihood solutions
implemented by Development Alternatives in TARAgram Orchha. Delegates from around
the world embark on a life changing journey to the Bundelkhand region of India for exploring
village life, rural livelihoods, rain water harvesting etc. The Youth takes the initiatives and
the initiatives are for youth driven to work for the environment, through programs designed
for them like The Rural Youth Immersion Programme, Green Entrepreneurship for
Environmental Protection and Green Internship Programme. This is one of the platforms
where youth takes active part in conserving the environment of the Country.

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1.5.2 NSS (National Service Scheme)
National Service Scheme, popularly known as NSS was launched in 1969-the birth centenary
year of Mahatma Gandhi in 37 Universities involving 40,000 students with primary focus on
the Personality Development of the student volunteers through service to the community.
Today, NSS has more than 3.4. Million volunteers on its roll spread over 301 Universities
and 42 (+2) Senior Secondary Councils and Directorate of Technical Education all over the
country. Since its inception more than 3.75 crore students from various institutions of higher
learning have been benefitted out of this scheme. The “Regular Activities” and Special
Camping Programmes” are the two main components of NSS programmes. During the two
year volunteer-ship, the volunteers devote 240 hours under Regular activities. This includes
20 hours of general orientation regarding NSS and the mode of work they have to do in their
volunteer-ship. Out of the remaining 220 hours, 30 hours are given for the campus
development and rest 190 hours for the services in the community in various areas as per the
need and priority. Presently, we have 26,202 villages/urban slums adopted for this purpose.
Every volunteer has to attend one special camping programme to become eligible for getting
the NSS Certificate issued by the Universities and +2 councils. This residential camp is of 7
days duration and is organized in the community by the NSS units based on specific themes
which keep on changing from time to time. NSS, over the years has made outstanding
contributions in the field of Mass Literacy, Environment Preservation, Waste Land
development, Watershed Management, Health Education, Community Development, Disaster
Management, Adolescent Health Development, HIV/AIDs Awareness, Drive against Social
evils, Homes for the homeless, Mass forestation drives, Communal and Social Harmony etc.
a) Some of the activities are given in the table below:
Rahul Jain 05-
07-
2015
Chatisgarh 60 and above massive tree plantation
prgm by PRAYAS NGO, Govinalay
(TRUST) in 4 different place of our
dist, Collector, tahasildar, Chairman
and 60 people participate in this

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plantation
JHUNUBALA
DAS
05-
07-
2015
JAJPUR odisha 330 tree planted in Dharmashala
block today
MAHENDRA
KU NAYAK
30-
06-
2015
NYK- NABARANGPUR PLANTED 330 CASHEW AND
125 MANGO PLANTATION IN
KESHRIGUDA OF
NABARANGPUR DIST, ODISHA,
33 MEMBERS OF KURLUGHATI,
GANDAGUDA, KESHRIGUDA
YOUTH CLUB AND 16 SHG
LADY PARTICIPATE
PARTICIPATED IN
PLANTATION, ASCO, PIA, PD,
WATERSHED ALSO INVILVE IN
THIS CAMPAING. AGAIN ON
VANA MOHATSAV, WE PLANT
THE SAME AT KOSAGUMUDA
BLOCK.
ankush nain 24-
06-
2015
#252,ward no.4, suniar
basti, patran distt. Patiala.
Punjab
Plantation drive organised in which
a group of 20 people participated
and planted about 150 plants the side
of patran-patiala state highway.
Premalatha
Shetty
24-
06-
2015
Program Officer, NSS
Units, St Aloysius
College(Autonomous),
Light House Hill Road,
Mangaluru Karnataka
NSS Volunteers of our College
planted 100 Pepper creepers in
College Campus. This program was
organized to create awareness
among the youth regarding
environment and to love Nature.
Around two hundred NSS volunteers
and NSS officers participated in the
Program.

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DEEPA ROY 17-
06-
2015
Uttar Banga Krishi
Viswavidyalaya Post Office
Pundibari District Cooch
Behar Pin 736165 West
Bengal
NSS Unit UBKV organized Special
Plantation Drives on the occasion of
World Environment Day i.e. 5th
June 2015. The main motto of this
event was One Student-One Plant
with a focus on that each of students
should plant at least one tree & they
will be involved in nurturing the tree
during his or her stay in the
University for preservation of
environment. Our NSS volunteers &
students planted more than 400
saplings in various areas of campus.
Total 500 trees were planted
including 20 rare species. This day
was celebrated under the supervision
of our NSS Programme Coordinator
Dr. Amarendu Mondal.
vishal 12-
06-
2015
village nauneetpur po
barian kalan teh
garhshankar dist hoshiarpur
plantation in village nauneetpur by
youth services club
Ritesh Singh 10-
06-
2015
H-14 EXT.SAINIK
COLONY JAMMU
OUR GOVT. POLYTECHNIC
COLLEGE CELEBRATE
PLANTATION DRIVE ON 8TH
OF JUNE, 2015. OUR ALL
STAFFS AND NSS VOLUNTERES
PARTICIPATED THIS ACTIVITY.
jhunu bala das 09-
06-
2015
jaraka jajpur odisha We have planted 206 trees also
organize plantation in this year.
MAHENDRA
KUMAR
09-
06-
NYKS, NABARANGPUR,
ODISHA
Plantation drives should be
undertaken in a massive way in view

18. Page | 18
NAYAK 2015 of the ever-increasing population,
industries and vehicles, said ER.
DILIP DASH, a World Environment
Day event. The function was
ORGANIZED BY 3 YOUTH
CLUBS, ALSO PLANT 300 TREE
In this way the NSS has carried out lots of small project concerning conservation of
environment, they are playing significant role in the conservation of environment.
1.5.3 NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan)
India has the largest ever cohort of young people making transition to adulthood. In the
National Youth Policy-2003, ‘youth’ was defined a person of age between 13-35 years is
about 41 percent and of the total youth population in the country, 69.67 percent are in rural
areas. More than 70% of the total Indian population is below the age of 35 years. It may be
noted that in the current National Youth Policy Document 2014, of the Department of Youth
Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, (MoYAS) Government of India, the youth age-
group is defined as 15-29 years, with a view to have a more focused approach, as far as
various policy interventions are concerned. Youth in the age group of 15-29 years comprise
27.5% of the population. At present, about 34% of India’s Gross National Income (GNI) is
contributed by the youth, aged 15-29 years. Youth being the most vibrant and resourceful
segment of the country’s population, they have a vital role to play in fostering and
strengthening socio-economic development. The challenge is to unleash their innate
capabilities to come out of poverty, generate development and livelihoods outcomes, which
enable them to live a healthy and meaningful life. Nonetheless, there exists a huge potential
to increase the contribution of this class of the nation’s citizenry by increasing their labour
force participation and their productivity.
Under NYKS youth around the countries has done a tremendous work in the sphere of
promoting the environment by taking up project like cleanliness campaign, plantation
campaign and awareness program on environment conservation, as such they have created
great impact in various parts of the countries. This is one of the youth organizations which
are actively working for the youth development in various perspectives, the organization

19. Page | 19
encourage the youth to actively participate in developing their personality also in developing
the country at large. Since time immemorial the youth organization has carried out lots of
developmental projects through the support of the government of India, their work across the
countries are appreciated.
1.6 Problems
India has the largest youth population in the world, as we compared the youth and the
participation rate in conservation of environment, the youth participation is found out to be
less although few participated in the conservation of the environment. Youth as such, in the
country are not fully indulged in preserving the environment which is one of the significant
areas that the whole world is concerned about. The fact that the youth participation is less is
due to various reasons given below:
 The youth of this country have a mentality that keeps the environment in
the second place; the priority is given to other areas like employment,
education, sports etc.
 The youth have less interest in involving in conservation of environment
 Youth of this country are not encouraged by the elders to take active part
in environmental conservation
 Major portion of the country is still backward, as the data state 70% of the
places still are in rural areas and thus the youth population in the rural
areas covers the major portion of the youth population. The fact reveals
that there are many youth who are not aware of the environment
degradation which is taking place in the country.
 Due to the fat that India is still an underdeveloped country, there are lots of
important areas where the need is more concentrated, thus the main focus
is shifted toward other priority areas. The youth fail to contribute as they
are more concerned towards their need rather than taking active part in
conservation of the environment
 The people living in the country thinks that conserving the environment of
the country is the duty of the government, therefore there is less

20. Page | 20
participation in environment protection. The people usually wait for the
government to start doing the work and if the government make it
important issue of concern to the country the people starts to take steps,
there is no civic consciousness in the country. The people do not think that
it is their duty to conserve the environment.
1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The chapter covers the methodology of research used in the
present study. The research design incorporate for the study broadly included in the
method of study, research design, research setting, sampling framework, sampling
method, sampling size, operational definition, tools used for data collection, limitation
of the study and data analysis.
The aim of the study is to examine the role of youth in conservation of environment.
It also aims at finding out the issues and challenges faced by the youth in involving in
the preservation of environment at Ukhrul District, Manipur. Methodology occupy
significant role in any types of research as the reliability of the findings highly depend
upon the method adopted by the researcher. Methodology is a function or method to
be used for knowledge and it is vital part of any research study. The quality of the
research depends on the suitability of the methodology selected for the study. The
methodology selected to explore any research problems depends on many factor
including practical and ethical constraints and decision to get most precise outcome.
In order to arrive at a valid conclusion regarding the role of youth in environmental
conservation of Ukhrul District, Manipur, the descriptive research has been followed.

21. Page | 21
1.7.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
i. To study the profile of the respondent
ii. To examine the knowledge and awareness of environmental issues among the youth
in Ukhrul District, Manipur
iii. To identify the challenges faced by the youth in conservation of Environment
iv. To analyze the extent of youth participation in the conservation of environment
v. To suggest suitable measures and strategies to promote youth participation in
Environment conservation
1.7.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The present scenario of our environment is in a worst state, it is one of the most serious
problems faced by the world. As far as this problem is concern every single countries in this
planet is responsible for this. The high rate of consumption by the people living in this planet
without thinking for the next generation is the major cause for the environment depletion and
threat to the environment. For the sake of development and the so called development has
destroyed the natural resources to the extent that the world is in a state which will be difficult
for us to rejuvenate again. In the tribal areas of Ukhrul District, the environment is in a great
threat, which needs to be taken proper care, their lives depend upon the nature, they have a
close connection with the nature but they also contribute to the depletion of the natural
resources. The activities like slash/shifting cultivation, cutting down of trees for timber
extraction, extraction of charcoal etc. has been the practices of this people since time
immemorial. Wild fire is another issue which is a major threat to the environment. As the
development sweep over this place and because of the growing population much new form of
pollutions can be found, they are air pollution, water pollution, solid waste pollution etc.
Youth has a great role in environment protection and conservation, as they are highly
enthusiastic, energetic they can contribute immensely in the conservation of natural
resources. Youth are the wings of change, if they are given the opportunity and if they are
given proper guidance they can make it right. The will power of the youth is very high; they
can make innovative decision and can bring out different creative ideas. They are eager to

22. Page | 22
take initiatives just that we need to make them aware of the happenings, motivate them and
guide them. Some of the roles of the youth are:
 Youth can initiate in promoting the conservation of natural resources by plantation.
 Inspire the community
 The youth is well known for their vibrant nature thus, they are the right person to
create awareness throughout the world, reached every nook and corner making the
people to start working to promote our environment.
Therefore there is no doubt that youth are the incomparable source of energy, ideas,
innovation, etc. the role of youth in every sphere is indispensable and the fact that we know,
and youth has contributed in various sector thus far. In order to make the youth involve
actively in promoting our environment they must be adequately equipped with knowledge,
awareness and skills on how to conserve and protect our environment, as such if the
awareness level of the youth created and if proper step is carried out in the early stage as fast
as possible, the environment can be saved. Youth in this regard should take actively taking
part in environmental conservation, if so we can think of having a good and better place.
Therefore this study aims at understanding the environmental issues, challenges
prevailing in Ukhrul District, Manipur and to identify the roles of the youth in creating good
environment. The present study will also analyze the roles and responsibility of youth in
environmental conservation and the factor that are hindering their participation. Furthermore
the study will also suggest suitable measures and strategies to enhance youth participation to
address the environmental issues prevailing in the study area as per the findings of the present
research study.
1.7.3 Research Questions
• What are the environmental issues prevailing in Ukhrul District Manipur?
• What is the Impact of environment depletion?
• Why environment protection is important to create a sustainable living?

23. Page | 23
• What are the roles of the youth in the conservation of environment?
• Are the youth aware of the environmental issues?
• How can they contribute to have a greener and sustainable environment?
1.7.4 Research Design
Descriptive studies are best suited where observation are made without any kind of
intervention as descriptive designs are non-intrusive and deals with naturally
occurring phenomena. Hence, the researcher has adopted descriptive research design
to obtain the relevant information from the respondents.
1.7.5 Sampling Framework
The sampling framework is designed accordingly where every item of the universe
has an equal chance of selecting in the sample. For the present study the researcher
used simple random sampling method.
1.7.6 Sample Size
The sample size consists of 50 respondents in the age group of 16-35 years has been
randomly selected from Ukhrul District of Manipur. This includes 24 male and 26
female respondents.
1.7.7 Data Collection
The data was collected by using structured interviewed scheduled. The data were
collected from 20th
December 2015 to 15th
January 2016.
While collecting the data, proper guidance and information were given to the
respondent regarding the study and the identity of the researcher. The participation of
the respondent was completely voluntary. As per the collection of data, structured
questionnaire were used with fixed alternative option so that the respondents have the
opportunity to express their awareness, views and participation level in the
conservation of environment.

24. Page | 24
1.7.8 Data processing
The data collected were systematically processed, logically sequenced, tabulated and
analyzed.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
I) Youth
According to the researcher, youth is defined under the age group of 16-30 adopting
the youth age group of the draft National Youth Policy of India. Youth is defined as a
person who is married or unmarried, male or female, student or non-student and
employed or unemployed because it is the stage where they grow, make their own
choice of life and impact the society with their contribution. Falling in this age group
is vibrant, enthusiastic and they have a high spirit in changing the things around them.
This is the ripe age to have a high dream and execute it to make it real.
ii) Role of Youth
There are lots of roles in the life of youth, specifically in the conservation of
environment the role of youth are significant and inevitable as the environment
around us needs to be preserved for the future in order to sustain lives. Youth can play
vital role in conservation of environment as they are more vibrant, they have the
capability to change the situation which is worst as the environment is slowly
degrading
iii) Environment
According to the researcher, the environment means the surroundings in which the
people are living that includes forest, air, water, land, animal and the thing around
them.
iv) Environmental Conservation
According to the researcher, environment conservation means preserving the
environment surrounding them, making minimal used of the environment by not

25. Page | 25
effecting the environment, managing the resources available, preserving forest,
maintaining clean environment, constructing and managing the water sources,
avoiding and reducing pollution and making use of the waste materials by renewing
the waste materials.
1.9 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
 The study is limited to the youth of Ukhrul District, Manipur. This prevents
the researcher to make a generalized statement with the other district youth of
Manipur state. Moreover the study cannot be used to generalized the youth of
the other state as well
 The population if the district is large compared to the sample size taken by the
researcher, thus the result cannot be generalized
 Due to time constraints the study could not cover all the aspects of
participation of youth in environment conservation.
 Due to time constraints the researcher could not cover all the villages of
Ukhrul district of Manipur thus the result of the study cannot be generalized.
1.10 DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE RESEARCHER
 The researcher faced time constraints during the data collection due to limited time
allotted for collecting the data.
1.11 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
 Environment conservation is one of the major problems faced by the world. It is a
global concern. Environment preservation is very important and the studies regarding
this matter will make us more aware of the problems faced by the wold. Environment
studies enlighten us about the importance of protection and conservation of our
environment. The present environmental scenario is at worst state and it is becoming
more and more severe. We are the benefactor and therefore, it is our duty to take
proper are of our environment, starting from the grassroots level people take active
part in conserving the environment as such we can maintain the natural balance which
the natural demand. Some of the important reason for conserving our environment re
as follows:

26. Page | 26
a) Environmental issues being of international importance
b) High increase in degradation of environment
c) Various environmental issues like, land degradation, growing population,
agriculture growth, urbanization, poverty, poor sewage management, soil
pollution and deforestation etc.
d) Urgent need for public awareness and participation
e) Most importantly the need for youth to take active part in environmental
conservation
 The present study has wider scope. Study can be carried out in various ways such as
role of women towards environmental conservation and protection may be studied as
women also played important role in conserving the environment.
 A comparative study may be also conducted between different districts of Manipur as
well as with the other states.
 The study will be a great help for the environmentalist, state policy makers and
NGO’s to make effective plan and policy for better conservation of the environment.
 This study will enable the state to be more aware of the environmental issues which is
prevailing in the state as such to take preventive measures, also to make realize that
the youth can play important role in conserving the environment thus, encourage the
youth in taking active part in the preservation of environment by involving them in
decision making, creating awareness and policy making
 This study will make the elders realize that the youth can ply active role in
environmental conservation as such giving the youth more place and encouraging
them in taking active part in environmental conservation.
1.12 CHAPTERIZTION
The research is presented in five chapters. Chapter 1 includes the background, meaning
and definition of terminologies, youth participation in environmental conservation, trends
and issues, problems of the youth in environmental conservation, objectives of the study
and methodology of the study that includes research, design, operational definition,
sampling framework, sample size, data collection, tools of data collection, data
processing and limitation of the study as well as the scope of the study. Chapter 2
comprise of the review of related literature which includes various studies carried out in

27. Page | 27
various dimensions. Chapter 3 describes about the demographic profile of the study area
in detail. Chapter 4 presents the data analysis and interpretation. Chapter 5 deals with the
major findings, suggestions and conclusions.

28. Page | 28
REFERENCE
1 Agarawal V.K (2005)’. Environmental Law in India: Challenges for Enforcement’
National Institute of Ecology New Delhi
2. Environmental Issues, Law and Technology – An Indian Perspective. Ramesha
Chandrappa and Ravi.D.R, Research India Publication, Delhi, 2009,ISBN 978-81-
904362-5-0
3. GANGULY; ET, AL (2001)’. "Indoor Air Pollution in– A Major Environmental and
Public Health , Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi
4. Thakur Kailash (1999)’. Environmental protection Law and Policy of India’. Deep
and deep Publication PVT LTD, New Delhi
5. For a history of youth involvement in the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (Winnipeg, International Institute for Sustainable
Development, 1995 (source http://iisd.ca/youth/ysbk088.htm)
6. Jyoti K. Parikh, Environmental Problems of India and Their Possible Trends in
Future:(source:http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=onlin
e&aid=5953628)
7. Milind Kandlikar, Gurumurthy Ramachandran (2000): India: The causes and
consequence of particulate air pollution in Urban: A Synthesis of the
Science". Annual Review of Energy and the Environment
8. Steve Hamnera; Tripathi, Anshuman; Mishra, Rajesh Kumar; Bouskill, Nik;
Broadaway, Susan C.; Pyle, Barry H.; Ford, Timothy E.; et al. (2006). "The role
of water use patterns and sewage pollution in incidence of water-borne/enteric
diseases along the Ganges River in Varanasi India". International Journal of
Environmental Health Research 16 (2): 113–132.

29. Page | 29
9. The Kyoto protocol referred online at: (Source:
http://www.earthsfriends.com/kyoto-protocol-summary)
10. United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change referred online at:
(Source: http://unfccc.int/2860.php)
11. CLEAN-India; referred online at: http://www.cleanindia.org/index.php/what-we-do/
12. NSS (National Service Scheme): Referred Online at:
http://nss.nic.in/dfmainviews.asp?tid=52&pageno=10
13. Draft National Youth Policy 2012, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
Government of India. Available at http://.www.rgniyd.gov.in/
14. Types of participation referred online at
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/participation.html#ixzz42FRtKwUJ

30. Page | 30
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

31. Page | 31
REVIEW LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction
This chapter review the literature associated with the main area of interest in this
study. Review of literature is a process of gathering information from the other sources and
documenting it. In research, a body of literature is a collection of published information and
data relevant to the research question. By reviewing related literature researcher’s sole role is
to determine what aspect the information is pertinent to the research problems. The literature
review thus, becomes the link between the research proposed and the studies already done.
Literature review includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative data bases, and
primary sources. Sometimes it includes newspaper, magazines, films, audio and audio visuals
tapes and other secondary sources.
Many studies have been conducted in the context of environment related topics in India as
well as others countries such as the challenges, environment issues, pollution related topics,
environment and its effects on the health, global warming, climate change etc. in this study
the researcher studies the role of youth in conserving the environment, their awareness level,
and their participation level. So far no studies have been conducted on this topic in this
district (Ukhrul).
The literature review is presented under the following three thematic areas:
 Environmental issues and challenges
 Youth participation in environmental conservation
 Measures and strategies
2.2 Environmental Issues and Challenges
 A joint study by Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) and The
Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) ENVIRONMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT China and India (2011): China Council for International
Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) and India Council for

32. Page | 32
Sustainable Development (ICSD): Here in this joint study by the Chinese and India,
climate change comparatively is depicted that Depleting resources and deteriorating
environment, in both India and China, have been raising concerns across various
quarters both within the countries and outside. Climate change is an additional stress
factor to existing environmental and development challenges. Global climate change
due to rising levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere is now
recognized to be one of the most serious environmental challenges of the present
times. The reports of the IPCC now validate the change in climate and its
anthropogenic roots. There is enough evidence to suggest that India and China will be
one of the most severely affected countries by climate change, posing threats and
challenges at various levels. Although the overarching issues on climate change for
both India and China are similar in nature.
 V.S. Ganeshamurthy, Environmental status and policy in India, environmental
resources and problems in India: says that India is a land of variety numbers of
living species, a rich country endowed by the nature. It is a home of over 45,000
plants species where the flora comprised of 15,000 species. It is also a place for
variety of animals.
Environmental problems in India can be divided into two broad categories: a) those
arising from the condition of poverty and under-development and b) those arising as
negative effects of the various process of development. The first category has to do
with the impact of health and integrity of natural resources (land, soil, water, forest,
wildlife etc.) as a result of poverty and inadequate availability, for a large section of
population, of the means to fulfil the basic human needs. The second category
pertains to unintended side effects of efforts to achieve rapid economic growth and
development. In this category will fall the distortion imposed on national resources
from poorly planned development projects and programmes and lack of attention to
long term concern by commercial and vested interest. Environmental degradation in
India has been caused by a variety of social, economic, institutional and technological
factors. Rapid growing population, urbanization, industrial, and increasing use of
pesticide and fossil fuels have all resulted in the quality and sustainability of the
environment.

33. Page | 33
 Richard P. Tucker, A Forest History of India, Early history of Himalayan forest:
here he explain that, great devastation are generally made in the wood, partly by the
increased of population, building and agriculture partly by the wasteful habits of the
travellers, who cut down multitudes of young trees to make temporary hut, and for
fuel while the cattle and goats which browse on the mountains prevent a great part of
the seedling from rising. These are some of the ways hoe the forest or deforestation
happens in our country.
 O.L. Ndubuisi and I.Q Asia, 2007: Environmental Pollution in Oil Producing
Areas of the Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria: Empirical Assessment of Trends and
People’s Perception describes that Oil spillage and air pollution, via gas flaring,
constitute the major persistent environmental pollution problems affecting oil-
producing areas of the Niger River Delta in Nigeria. This study presents a preliminary
empirical assessment of the trend and rural community’s perception of the problems.
About 6133 major oil spill incidences were reported in area between 1976 and 2002.
This resulted to the loss of about 2.97million barrels of crude/refined oil or an average
of about 1.14×105
barrels per year. Between 1976 and 1999 about 94.8 tons of
Particulate Matter (PM), 950477.0 tons of Nitrous Oxides (NOx), 190717.0 tons of
Carbon Mono Oxide (CO) and 5462.3 tons of Oxides of Sulphur (SOx) were recorded
from the annual levels of gas flared in the area. Trend equations attempted using
statistical method show that the quantity of oil spill is declining, while the number of
incidence is on the increase. A linear relationship exists between the components of
air pollution. The views of the project-affected communities are quite polarized. One
group (about 56% wished to see on-shore oil exploration and production activities
cease, while the reminder (44%) does not. The major cause of conflict between the
host community and the oil exploration and production company is environmental
pollution (51.63%). This is followed closely by youth unemployment (23.96%). The
most perceived affected environmental component is rural water supply (85%)
 Shamsuddin Shahid and Manzul Kumar Hazrika, 2007 Geographic Information
System for the Evaluation of Groundwater Pollution Vulnerability of the
Northwestern Barind Tract of Bangladesh Says that Groundwater is the main
source of drinking in the north western Barind region of Bangladesh. Therefore,

34. Page | 34
prevention of this resource to pollution is crucial to avoid probable health and
environmental hazards. An attempt has been taken in this study to map the
vulnerability of the groundwater resource to contamination based on a multi-criteria
approach known as DRASTIC within a geographic information system. Seven
thematic maps of DRASTIC parameters are developed from available soil, borehole
litholog, groundwater fluctuations and elevation model data of the region. The maps
are integrated within geographic information system to generate the maps of
groundwater vulnerability to both agricultural pollutants and general pollutants. The
pollution vulnerability maps are validated with existing groundwater quality data. The
result shows that almost 38.1% of the area is highly vulnerable to agricultural
pollutants and 29.8% to general pollutants
 Gabriela Camilleri, 2015. Air Pollution and Health: says that in many countries
around the world including in the small Maltese Islands in Europe, air pollution is
associated with increased mortality and morbidity rates as reflected by increased
hospital admissions and doctor visits not only for respiratory illnesses but also for
cardiovascular illnesses. Some studies have found that air pollution is also associated
with an increase in respiratory symptoms in lower lung function in children. In the
Maltese Islands, air pollution in mostly because of the power stations as well as traffic
emissions. During the past decade, the annual mean level of respirable suspended
particulates and oxides of nitrogen and ozone have increased substantially
 TERI Environmental Survey Report, (2013); In this report the pollution study has
been carried out in the major cities, the report states that, air quality for the
respondents in the six cities over time has either become worse or has seen no change.
In terms of drinking water quality and availability, there is a perception that it has
improved in all cities barring Hyderabad, where the respondents felt it has worsened.
Surface Executive Summary x Executive Summary water quality is seen to have
worsened in all cities apart from Mumbai (no change). Five cities have seen
worsening of ground water availability (excluding Chennai) and tree and forest cover
(excluding Mumbai), and all six cities have seen a decline in the number and species
of birds and animals. Respondents from Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, and Hyderabad
have seen deterioration of waste and waste management in their city

35. Page | 35
 UNICEF REPORT: Water Situation in India- Situation and Prospects:
Here the UN Report has described India's water pollution situation as a time bomb.
India is able to treat just 10% of its city sewage and industrial waste discharge that is
the most polluting source for rivers and water bodies. The untreated water is
discharged into water bodies due to this pollutants enter rivers, lakes and the ground
water. The drinking water that ultimately ends in the households is often highly
contaminated and carries disease-causing microbes. The victims are mostly children.
Government studies have shown that a major cause of under- five mortality was water
borne diseases. The water source over half of the Indians living in two major river
Ganga-basis and Brahmaputra was highly contaminated. An evidence of that was
raising number of arsenic affected areas in Bihar and West Bengal despite the
government spending crores, Situation in rich agriculture areas of India's wheat bowl
Haryana and Punjab is no better with high pesticide contamination. The report says
that the agencies responsible for checking industrial pollution have failed. Pollution
contributes to water scarcity by contaminating freshwater resources.
(http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/un-report.html)
 Sateesh. N. Hosamane1, Dr.G.P.Desai (August 2013: This journal says that, Rapid
economic growth has brought many benefits to India; the environment has suffered,
exposing the population serious air pollution. The consequences of pollution have led
to poor urban air quality in many Indian cities. The air pollution and the resultant air
quality can be attributed to emissions from transportation, industrial and domestic
activities. The air quality has been, therefore, an issue of social concern in the
backdrop of various developmental activities. Though the measurement of air quality
is complicated, there are a few pollutants which regulators keep a watchful eye on
through regular monitoring. The most watched pollutants include particular matter
(PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Due
to pollution, the ambient air quality in major cities in India is now very poor. The
annual average concentration of suspended particulate matter is very high in Indian
cities. In particular, many cities have exceeded the officially designated critical levels,
not to mention the ambient air quality standards set by the World Health Organization
(WHO). There is an urgent need to adopt various strategies in planning air quality,
total air quality control to improve urban air quality. Epidemiological studies should
be taken up to show how ambient air pollution is affecting people’s health and

36. Page | 36
quantify this information in order to provide policy tools for air quality planning.
Exposure to air pollutants is largely beyond the control of individuals and requires
action by public authorities at the national, regional and even international levels.
 Central Pollution Control Board November 2005: Status of Sewage Treatment in
India, Guidance, Planning, and Principal Coordinators Dr. B. Sengupta,
Member Secretary and Mr. P. M. Ansari, Additional Director, Report
preparation Nazim uddin, Environmental Engineer: In this report the sewage
pollution is explained about the failure of the government and the people, it is stated
that Pollution caused by sewage discharged from cities and towns is the primary cause
for degradation of our water resources. A solution to this problem not only requires
bridging the ever widening gap between sewage generation and treatment capacity
(generation being 29000 million litre per day against the existing treatment capacity
of 6000 million litre per day) but also calls for development of facilities to divert the
treated sewage for use in irrigation to prevent nutrient pollution of water bodies,
utilize the nutrient value of sewage in irrigation and bring down fresh water use in
irrigation. The use of treated sewage in irrigation was emphasised in the Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974; however, by and large, the State
Governments have failed to recognize its importance during the last 30 years. It is a
matter of grave concern that due attention is not paid to operation and maintenance of
existing sewage treatment facilities by State Governments and , as a result, 45 of the
115 sewage treatment plants studied recently by Central Pollution Control Board
failed to achieve the prescribed discharge standards.
 TERI (2010), this book describes the severe changes in our environment, our
environment is in a critical moment. The world is going through a serious economy
downturn, the like of which has probably not been experienced in the last 75 years. At
the same time, we faced the daunting challenges of climate change, which has been
rightly described as the defining challenges of our age. The Kyoto protocol, which
was required to implement the spirit and intent of the UN framework convention on
climate change (UNFCCC), has clearly fallen short of original expectations. At the
same time, the scientific evidence of climate change has become stronger and more
compelling.

37. Page | 37
Just to highlight few things: the frequency and severity of drought has increased,
particularly in Asia and Africa. A detail study has been carried out on the impact of
climate change on agriculture, particularly rain-fed agriculture, and the picture
certainly does not look very bright. In fact, there is reason for gloom in several parts
of India, because it is not only climate change that is adversely impacting agriculture,
there is a whole host of other factors that have also come together, creating some
serious problems and raising problems about food security in this country.
Melting glaciers has increasingly become the evident, which has seriously implication
for perhaps half a billion of people living in the northern part of the subcontinent.
Over a period of time, the flow of water in our river system is likely to decline, which
would directly not only those who are dependent on the flow of river but also the
recharge of the ground water, which obviously will go down with lower flows. Snow
covers have decreased in the area by 10% since 1960. There are also changes in the
pattern of precipitation.
2.3 Youth Participation
 European Environmental Law and Youth Participation, (4 March 2012): In
this study the European Youth Centre Strasbourg of the Council of Europe tries to
make the youth to take active part in preservation of the environment, the
European Environmental Law and Youth Participation‘ gathered 29 participants
from 17 countries in the European Youth Centre Strasbourg in March 2012 in
order to discover and discuss possibilities of using environmental law and other
forms of advocacy for environment by young people. All participants were young
members of youth environmental organisations who wanted to share exchange and
discuss environmental topics. The aim of the project was to provide youth active
in environmental protection with useful knowledge and tools to actively advocate
for their rights and interests guaranteed by international and national legal acts.
Participants discovered together and raised awareness on the necessary knowledge
and tools to actively advocate for environment and to be involved in the process of
creating, implementing and intervening in the field of environmental law. As for
Youth and Environment Europe, this study session provided excellent possibility
for raising the capacity and strengthening co-operation within the network, finding
new partners and planning future international activities. By raising skills and

38. Page | 38
knowledge of youth workers involved in our network, we improved the
performance of the organisation. We can also get more involved and participate
more actively in the communities where YEE has members using environmental
law for nature protection. (Taken from the internet sources from:
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Training/Study_sessions/2012_YEE.p
df)
 WORLD YOUTH REPORT, (2003) emphasize that Youth have both special
concerns and special responsibilities in relation to the environment. A number of
environmental risks and hazards disproportionately affect young people, who have
to live for an extended period with the deteriorating environment bequeathed to
them by earlier generations. Young people will be compelled to engage in new
forms of action and activism that will generate effective responses to ecological
challenges. Before investigating the role youth can play in addressing
environmental issues, it is important to provide some background and establish a
clear context by identifying the current state of the environment. The nature,
extent and severity of environmental problems vary tremendously from one part
of the world to another. It is perhaps most logical to begin with an overview of the
state of the global environment, providing a snapshot of its present condition, as
well as a more detailed and revealing assessment of past trends and likely future
developments. This level of analysis is justified because certain issues—most
notably global warming and ozone layer depletion—are intrinsically global
problems and therefore of concern to everyone in the world
 Noor S and Fatima N (2007) in the journal mention that a participatory approach
to environmental protection is one of the sustainable developments in
environmental perspective. The Youth Engagement Service (YES) is the most
active agency dealing with this issue. They have a view that the concept of youth
participation is very new. Youth potential is not recognized; instead youth are
considered a problem. It is high time to identify youth participation as the vital
tool for reaching out to other marginalized youth in helping to realize their full
potential as well as for nation building. Keeping in view the importance of youth
engagement in improving local environments there is a dire need of some

39. Page | 39
governmental body that will design, implement and monitor all the processes as
well as provide resources for such projects.
They proposed structures can consist of the hierarchical administrative units (fig
2) right from national, provincial, district, tehsil and local levels according to their
representative tasks which will plan, design, implement and monitor the youth
engagement projects based on the suggested Youth Community Model (Fig.3)

40. Page | 40
Fig 2.1 Youth Engagement hierarchy in administrative level
National Level (Tasks include
designing youth Engagement Plans,
implementing and monitoring of these
plans at all levels and provide
appropriate funding)
District Level (Tasks include
implementing the engagement plans as
designed and referred by national and
Provincial authorities, in the
representative Tehsils)
Local Youth Action Communities
(Tasks include taking wide range of
actions in the representative areas to
improve local degraded environment)
Provincial Level (Tasks include
planning of youth engagement plans
according to the key environmental
issues)
Tehsil Level (Tasks include formulating
youth committees and facilitating them
at every step)
P
L
A
N
I
N
G
A
C
T
I
O
N

41. Page | 41
Fig. 2.2 Youth engagement model
Levels of
Participation
I
Inform
II
Consult
III
Involve
IV
Collaborate
V
Empower
Participation
Goals
Source: The
International
Association for
Public Participation
(Modified from
IAP2 spectrum of
Public Participation)
To obtain
feedback
from youth
on
alternatives
and decision
To work
directly the
field to ensure
that local
environmental
issues are
considered
and
consistently
understood
To partner
with the
public in each
aspect of the
decision,
including the
development
of alternatives
and the
identification
of the
preferred
solution
To place final
decision making
in the hands of
local community
particularly
youth
Tools for
Engagement
Fact sheets Open
houses Print and
electronic media
Public
Comments
Focus
groups
(Youth)
Surveys
Meeting
with youth
community
Training
Workshops
Youth
Committees
Participatory
Decision
Making
Citizen Juries
Delegate
Decision
Representation
of youth in
policy making
meetings
Source: The International Association for Public Participation
Increasing Impact on the Community

42. Page | 42
2.4 Measures and Strategies for Environmental Conservation
 KAMAL NATH June, 1992: in this study some measures has been suggested which
is given below
A) Prevention and Control of Pollution
i) Water and air quality monitoring stations in selected areas.
ii) Use-based zoning and classification of major rivers.
iii) Notification and enforcement of standards for polluting industries through the
Central and State Pollution Control Boards.
iv) Rules for manufacture, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous
substances.
v) On-site and off-site emergency plans for preparedness against chemical accidents.
vi) Fiscal incentives for installation of pollution control devices.
vii) Ganga Action Plan to prevent pollution of the river and restore its water quality
which could be expanded to cover other major river systems subject to availability
of resources.
viii) Identification of critically polluted areas and of highly polluting industries.
B) Conservation of Forests and Wildlife
i) Adoption of a new Forest Policy (1988) with the principal aim of ensuring
ecological balance through conservation of biological diversity, soil and water
management, increase of tree cover, meeting the requirements of the rural and
tribal population, increase in the productivity, efficient utilization of forest
produce, substitution of wood and people's involvement for achieving these
objectives.
ii) Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 stringent provisions for preventing
diversion of forest land for any other purpose.
iii) Setting up of the National Wastelands Board to guide and oversee the
wastelands development programme by adopting a mission approach for
enlisting people's participation, harnessing the inputs of science and
technology and achieving interdisciplinary coordination in programme
planning and implementation.
iv) Formulation of a National Wildlife Action Plan.

43. Page | 43
v) An exercise for preparation of a National Forestry Action Programme.
vi) Establishment of National Parks and Sanctuaries covering about 4% of the
country's area.
vii) Eco-development plans for sanctuaries and National Parks.
viii) Identification of bio-geographical zones in the country for establishing a
network of protected areas including seven Biosphere Reserves set up so far.
ix) Management Plans for identified wetlands, mangrove areas and coral reefs.
x) Formulation of a National River Action Plan.
C) Land and Soil
i. Surveys by the All India Soil, and Land-Use Survey Organization.
ii. Treatment of catchment in selected river valley projects and integrated
watershed management projects in catchment of flood prone rivers. Assistance
to States to control shifting cultivation.
iii. Assistance for reclamation and development of ravine areas.
iv. Drought prone areas programme. ß Desert development programme.
D) Environmental Impact Assessment
i. Establishment of procedures for environmental impact assessment and
clearance with regard to selected types of projects requiring approval of the
Government of India.
ii. Prior clearance of projects requiring diversion of forests for non- forest
purpose under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980
iii. Formulation of Environmental guidelines for projects in various sectors.
E) Other Activities
i. Eco-Task Forces of ex-servicemen for ecological restoration through afforestation
and soil conservation.
ii. National Environmental Awareness Campaigns for creating environmental
awareness through non-governmental organizations.
iii. Surveys and research studies.
iv. Training programmes, workshops and seminars for building up professional
competence and for creation of awareness.
 Swaminathan, 1991, The WCS identifies three critical objectives for conservation:
I. To maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems through
rational planning, allocation, and management of resources;

44. Page | 44
II. To preserve genetic diversity through the collection and banking of genetic
material, and ecosystem protection; and
III. To ensure the sustainable utilization of ecosystems, through knowledge and
understanding of the productive capacities, and measures to ensure that
utilization does not exceed those capacities
The strategy provided a comprehensive discussion of major issues relating to
these objectives and established conservation targets. It also identified key
problem areas with respect to achieving each of the three objectives. Soil
degradation, deforestation, threatened coastal areas and freshwater systems, and
species loss were highlighted as the most critical issues. It then identified
"priority requirements," specific steps that must be taken to reverse the crisis of
depleting living resources. Among the priority requirements were the following.
a) Reserve good cropland for crops.
b) Manage cropland to high ecological standards.
c) Ensure that the principal management goal for watershed forests and
pastures is the protection of watersheds.
d) Control the discharge of pollutants.
e) Preserve as many varieties as possible of crop plants, forage plants,
timber trees, livestock, and other domesticated organisms and their wild
relatives.
f) Co-ordinate national protection area programs with international ones.
g) Adopt conservation management objectives for the utilization of species
and ecosystems.
h) Equip subsistence communities to utilize resources sustainably.
 UNEP REPORT 2005, in this report the UNEP specifically emphasize on the
educational strategies rather than the action plan, or the measures put up for
preserving the environment, it can be termed as a long term goals which is
sustainable. UNEP seeks to work with all sectors of education and training in all
countries and regions to provide direction and promote the advancement, coordination
and improvement of environmental education and training policies, programmes and
activities by developing partnerships for advocacy, research, networking and
communication, demonstration projects, professional development initiatives and
materials development.

45. Page | 45
Specifically, the goals for the next decade for Environmental Education and Training
in UNEP are:
a. To implement and support key priority areas as flagship programmes towards
achieving UNEP's mission worldwide;
b. To provide leadership for advocacy and promotion of environmental education
and training around the world; and to act as a catalyst for policy development
and sharing of implementation practices and innovation in environmental
education;
c. To provide innovative and responsive professional development and training
for people working in the various fields of environmental education across all
sectors of society and in particular decision makers;
d. To support the development of good quality environmental education learning
support materials for use in different sectors and contexts and as exemplars,
catalytic and models for adaptation;
e. To establish, maintain and strengthen mechanisms for facilitating networking
and partnerships to advance environmental education and training around the
world;
f. To facilitate ongoing research into environmental education and training, and
evaluating existing approaches, particularly with respect to the integration of
sustainable development principles across all educational sectors.
g. To establish awareness raising initiatives to increase people's understanding
of the goals and principles of sustainable development and contribute to the
development of informed citizens in different parts of the world;
h. To ensure that environmental information is easily accessible through mass
media and public education initiatives in different mediums and forms around
the world.
 UNDP REPORT, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992: This UNDP agenda
specifically support a more integrated approach to decision-making, the data systems
and analytical methods used to support such decision-making processes may need to
be improved. Governments, in collaboration, where appropriate, with national and
international organizations, should review the status of the planning and management
system and, where necessary, modify and strengthen procedures so as to facilitate the
integrated consideration of social, economic and environmental issues. Countries will

46. Page | 46
develop their own priorities in accordance with their national plans, policies and
programmes for the following activities:
a) Improving the use of data and information at all stages of planning and
management, making systematic and simultaneous use of social, economic,
developmental, ecological and environmental data; analysis should stress
interactions and synergisms; a broad range of analytical methods should be
encouraged so as to provide various points of view;
b) Adopting comprehensive analytical procedures for prior and simultaneous
assessment of the impacts of decisions, including the impacts within and
among the economic, social and environmental spheres; these procedures
should extend beyond the project level to policies and programmes; analysis
should also include assessment of costs, benefits and risks;
c) Adopting flexible and integrative planning approaches that allow the
consideration of multiple goals and enable adjustment of changing needs;
integrative area approaches at the ecosystem or watershed level can assist in
this approach;
d) Adopting integrated management systems, particularly for the management of
natural resources; traditional or indigenous methods should be studied and
considered wherever they have proved effective; women's traditional roles
should not be marginalized as a result of the introduction of new management
systems;
e) Adopting integrated approaches to sustainable development at the regional
level, including transboundary areas, subject to the requirements of particular
circumstances and needs;
f) Using policy instruments (legal/regulatory and economic) as a tool for
planning and management, seeking incorporation of efficiency criteria in
decisions; instruments should be regularly reviewed and adapted to ensure
that they continue to be effective;
g) Delegating planning and management responsibilities to the lowest level of
public authority consistent with effective action; in particular the advantages
of effective and equitable opportunities for participation by women should be
discussed;

47. Page | 47
h) Establishing procedures for involving local communities in contingency
planning for environmental and industrial accidents, and maintaining an open
exchange of information on local hazards.
 SK Kumar (2000), the author here in this book emphasizes the Gandhian idea
stressing that, Gandhi’s ideas about consumption was prophetic. He knew the problem
was within man, not outside him. To quote Gandhi, “The world will live in peace only
when the individual composing it will make up their mind to do so.” A way of life
that deplete the available resources will generate problems for the coming generation
therefore, to get the secure future and the maximum welfare of the maximum people,
the need of the hour is to check our ‘lust’ and ‘craving’. For this purpose we shall
have to follow non-violent way of life to economic activities. This concept is to be
widened while dealing with the nature and limited and finite resources of the earth.
There is a need in unending commitment to ensure that man will survive without
failing into a state of worthless existence.
Conclusion
The above Review of literature mainly focus on three main points, they are, the
environmental issues, Youth participation and measures and strategies for environmental
conservation. In the review of literature much information regarding Youth participation
cannot be found as the information regarding youth participation is found less. Nevertheless,
required information is given in the review of literature. The review of literature has given us
the insight of the environmental issues all over the world and in the country and the youth
participation in various angles in conserving and protecting, more than that some preventive
measures and strategies in the review of literature will further more give us the information of
taking up effective measures for environmental conservation. In this review, sadly
environment degradation are taking place all over the world and the people’s participation
level seems to be very low as such this led to more studies in order to show more clarity in
environmental degradation and thus allow people to participate more.

48. Page | 48
REFERENCE
 TERI 2010, The environmental Emergency, published by TERI press, The
Energy and Resources Limited, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110
003 India, Pg. No. 6
 SK Kumar, environmental Problems and Gandhian Solution, Deep and
Deep Publication (PVT) Limited, F-159, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110027
published year 2002 and reprinted: 2010. Pg. No. 54
 TERI Environmental Survey 2013, The Energy and Resources Institute
Darbari Seth Block, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road New Delhi – 110003,
India, Published by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Pg. No. 10-11
 KAMAL NATH June, 1992, National Conservation Strategy and Policy
Statement on Environment and Development, pg. No. 9-11
 Noor S. and Fatima M. (2012)., Engaging the Youth Community in
Environmental Management: A Participatory Approach., Annals of
Environmental Science, Vol 6, pg. No. 29-34
 Swaminathan, (1991): Chapter 7 Conservtion Strategies: Greenprints” for
sustainability, pg. No. 3
 Sateesh. N. Hosamane1, Dr.G.P.Desai (August 2013): Urban Air Pollution
Trend in India-Present Scenario, International Journal of Innovative Research
in Science, Engineering and Technology (ISO 3297: 2007 Certified
Organization) Vol. 2, Issue 8, August 2013. Page no. 1
 UNDP REPORT, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992, Agenda 21 –
Chapter 8 integrating environment and development in decision making. Pg.
No. 65-66

49. Page | 49
 World Youth Report, (2003), ‘Youth and Environment’ published by the
United Nation. Pg. No. 131
 Central Pollution Control Board November 2005: Status of Sewage
Treatment in India, Guidance, Planning, and Principal Coordinators Dr. B.
Sengupta, Member Secretary and Mr. P. M. Ansari, Additional Director,
Report preparation Nazim uddin, Environmental Engineer: referred online:
http://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/12.pdf
 UNICEF REPORT: Water Situation in India- Situation and Prospect:
referred online: http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/un-report.html
 UNEP REPORT 2005, UNEP Strategy for Environmental Education and
Training A Strategy and Action Planning for the Decade 2005 – 2014, Pg. No.
18, referred online at:
http://www.unep.org/training/downloads/PDFs/strat_full.pdf
 European Environmental Law and Youth Participation, (4 March 2012):
Referred online at:
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Training/Study_sessions/2012_YEE.p
df

50. Page | 50
CHAPTER III
STUDY AREA, UKHRUL DISTRICT,
MANIPUR

51. Page | 51
STUDY AREA
3.1) Introduction
This chapter briefly give the information about the study area taken by the researcher for the
present study, the chapter include the description of the State (Manipur) which include the
short history of Manipur, demographic of the state, the transportation system of the state and
During the British Raj, the Kingdom of Manipur was one of the princely states. Between
1917 and 1939, the people of Manipur pressed for their rights against the British Rule. By the
late 1930s, the princely state of Manipur negotiated with the British administration its
preference to be part of India, rather than Burma. These negotiations were cut short with the
outbreak of World War II. On 21 September 1949, Maharaja Budhachandra signed a Treaty
of Accession merging the kingdom into India. This merger is disputed by groups in Manipur
as having been completed without consensus and under duress.
The dispute and differing visions for the future has resulted in a 50-year insurgency in the
state for independence from India, as well as in violence between ethnic groups in the
state. Over 2010–2013, the militant insurgency was responsible for the violent death of about
1 civilian per 100,000 people, each year. The world average annual death rate from
intentional violence has been 7.9 per 100,000 people.
The Meetei ethnic group represents 20% of the population of Manipur state. The main
language of the state is Meeteilon (Manipuri). By comparison, indigenous tribal
peoples constitute 20% of the state population; they are distinguished by dialects and culture
that are often village-based. Manipur's ethnic groups practice a variety of religions
Manipur is one of the Border States in the north-eastern part of the country having an
international boundary of about 352 KMS. A Long stretch of land with Myanmar in the
southeast. It is bounded by Nagaland in the north, Assam in the west and Mizoram in the
south. It has a total area of 22327 sq. KMS. It lies between 23.80
N to 25.70
N latitude and
93.50
E to 94.80
E longitudes.
Geographically, the State of Manipur could be divided into two regions, viz. the hill
and the valley. The valley lies in the central part of the State and the hills surround the valley.
The average elevation of the valley is about 790 m above the sea level and that of the hills is

52. Page | 52
between 1500 m and 1800m. The hill region comprises of five districts viz. Senapati,
Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel and Ukhrul and the valley region consists of four
districts, viz. Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur. The hill districts occupy
about 90 percent (20089 sq km) of the total area of the State and the valley occupies only
about tenth (2238 sq km) of the total area of the State. Imphal is the capital city of Manipur.
3.2) Population
Manipur has a population of 2,721,756. Of this total, 58.9% live in the
valley and the remaining 41.1% in the hilly regions. The hills are inhabited mainly by
the Kuki, Naga, and Zomi, and smaller tribal communities and the valley mainly by
the Meetei, Bamons (Manipuri Brahmin) and Pangal (Manipuri Muslim). Some Bishnupriya
Manipuri, Naga and Kuki settlements are found in the valley region. Racially, Manipuri
people are unique; they have features similar to Southeast Asian.
The Nagas are the second largest people in population next to the Meetei. Few of them live in
the plain area; most of them live in the hill area from generation to generation.
3.3) Transportation
Tulihal Airport, Changangei, Imphal, the only airport of Manipur,
connects directly with Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Agartala. It has been upgraded as an
International airport. As India's second largest airport in the northeast, it serves as a key
logistical centre for northeastern states. National Highway NH-39 links Manipur with the rest
of the country through the railway stations at Dimapur in Nagaland at a distance of 215 km
(134 mi) from Imphal. National Highway 53 (India) connects Manipur with another railway
station at Silchar in Assam, which is 269 km (167 mi) away from Imphal. The road network
of Manipur, with a length of 7,170 km (4,460 mi) connects all the important towns and
distant villages.
In 2010, Indian government announced that it is considering an Asian infrastructure network
from Manipur toVietnam.

53. Page | 53
The proposed Trans-Asian Railway (TAR), if constructed, will pass through Manipur,
connecting India to Burma,Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. (Recently the railway
construction is in the process)
The 2012–2013 gross state domestic product of Manipur at market prices was
about ₹10188 crore (US$1.5 billion). Its economy is primarily agriculture, forestry, cottage
and trade driven.
Manipur acts as India's "Gateway to the East" through Moreh and Tamu towns, the land route
for trade between India and Burma and other Southeast Asian countries.
Manipur has the highest number of handicrafts units and the highest number of craftspersons
in the northeastern region of India. Manipur's climate and soil conditions make it ideally
suited for horticultural crops. Growing there are rare and exotic medicinal and aromatic
plants. Some cash crops suited for Manipur include litchi, cashew nuts, walnuts, orange,
lemon, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, peach, pear and plum. The state is covered with over
3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) of bamboo forests, making it one of India's largest
contributors to its bamboo industry.

54. Page | 54
Fig. 3.1 Map of Manipur Indicating all the district
Fig. 3.2 Map of Ukhrul District, Manipur