Imphal: Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba, Rajya Sabha MP, officially launched the Save Shirui Lily campaign on Monday at Ipudhou Marjing in Imphal East, under the state’s climate adaptation plan.
The initiative has been jointly organised by The Indigenous Foundation (TIF) and the Miss Shirui Lily Organising Committee (MSLOC), in collaboration with the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur, and the Forest Department.
The campaign aims to raise comprehensive awareness among the public, address the emergent threats to the Shirui Lily, and explore strategies to mitigate the challenges facing the state flower.
AC Raising, chairman of MSLOC and TIF, explained that the campaign seeks to create a platform to integrate indigenous knowledge and encourage community participation at the grassroots level, thereby developing concrete conservation strategies for the endangered flower.
In her keynote address, Esme Singh Shaiza, Miss Shirui Lily 2025 and coordinator of the campaign, highlighted the threats posed to the Shirui Lily by climate change, deforestation, wildfires, and unsustainable human activities. She noted that both the physical size and population of the lily have declined drastically, while the biodiversity of Shirui Kashonghas also been adversely affected.
Shaiza emphasised the involvement of experts and local communities with traditional or indigenous knowledge to conduct deliberations with various stakeholders. This collaborative approach is intended to establish effective benchmarks for conserving the Shirui Lily and the broader biodiversity of the peak.
MP Leishemba Sanajaoba called for collective action to protect the endangered Shirui Lily, pledging his support for conservation efforts. “I will contribute towards saving the rare endemic Shirui Lily that grows in the hills of Shirui Kashong,” he said.
The grand opening of the campaign will take place at Classic Grande in Imphal on Tuesday. It will be followed by a series of technical sessions led by experts and researchers on topics including the emergent need for community participation in conservation and the changing habitat of the Shirui Lily.
The campaign underscores Manipur’s commitment to preserving its unique flora and highlights the critical role of community engagement in environmental conservation.
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