CHANDEL DISTRICT

Chandel district is one of the districts in the state having wide varieties of multi-lingual, ethnicity and cultural diversity. The district was prviousely known as Tengnoupal district with a total geographical area of 3,313Sq. km. It lies in the south-eastern part of Manipur between 23.49º and 24.28º North latitude and 94.09º to 94.31º East longitude. Its neighbors with Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) on the south, Ukhrul district on the east, Churachandpur on the south and west and Thoubal on the north. The district is quite rich in mineral wealth like limestone, copper, nickel, chromites and asbestos. Highest peak is Eswani which is 8,348 ft. Out of the total geographical area, 90% is covered by hill ranges.

According to the 2011 Census, Chandel district has a total population of 144182 individuals with 74579 males and 69603 females, thus having a sex ratio of 933. The average literacy rate of the district stands at 71.11% and decadal population growth rate is 21.85 %. There are 76238 workers in the district of which 53753 are main workers and 22485 are marginal worker.

The district had sub-tropical to temperate climatic condition. It has extreme weather pattern from hot dry seasons (Moreh) during the summer to very cold weather (Tengnoupal) during the winter seasons. The maximum temperature for 2017 is 38.27°C while the minimum is 9.48°C. The district experiences the influence of the South-West Tropical monsoon with erratic rainfall pattern ranging from 1138mm to 1548mm mostly during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Floods and landslides occurred frequently as a result of high intensity rainfall. However, this agro-climatic condition is favorable for growing rice, vegetables and cereal crops in the district.

Agriculture is the main backbone of people’s economy. It consists of two types of practices i.e. shifting cultivation also known as Jhum cultivation, widely practiced on the hill slopes and wet rice cultivation practiced in some pockets of the plain area. Rice cultivation is the main mono crop besides pulses and other cereals. The total cropped area of the district accounts for 21.76 hectares according to the Economy Survey of Manipur, 2017-18. The economy of the people depends on the type of settlements within the topography and natural eco-system that greatly influence their economic system.

According to the State of Forest Report 2017, the area under forest is 2907 Sq.Km which is about 87.75 % of the total geographical area. Chandel district comes under Tengnoupal Forest Division of the state. Forest plays threefold role in maintaining the balance in the eco-system as a protector, producer and for aesthetic purpose.

The district has 25 wetland areas form with rivers, streams, Ox-bow lakes and cut-off meanders. In area wise it is estimated at 2016 Ha and also it has very less wetland areas as compare to other districts in the state.

Exploitation of natural resources and type of agriculture practiced by the people may greatly lead to climatic variations which ultimately will alter the rate of economic growth. Degradation of forest areas will also accelerate the events of floods and landslides during heavy rain.

 As a consequence, the vulnerability of the people in this region will magnify with scarcity of clean drinking water. With the increase in temperature and heat extremes, there is increasing incidence of vector borne diseases. Villages need to protect and preserved community forest areas more seriously in order to mitigate the problems of climate change.