Efforts of the polo ponies look bright with the state government earmarking Rs 2 crores for the development and upkeeps of the 23 acres Marjing Polo complex at Heingang in Imphal east district. Additionally the state is pitching for an additional of Rs 6 crores for the NABARD for the development of the Heingang Pony Sanctuary.
Lelen Vaiphei
In a bid to save the indigenous Indian equine breed, the Manipuri pony, which is on the verge of extinction, the department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, the government of Manipur has ordered for all Manipuri Ponies to be registered with the department. This desperate move came after the 19th Livestock census 2012 which recorded only about a thousand Manipuri ponies.
“Details of all the ponies along with details of the owners’ and photographs of both the owners and the ponies would be collected and subsequently unique identification numbers will be issued to all the registered the animals for monitoring,” said the Haobijam Chaoba Singh, the Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, government of Manipur.
The director further said that “a nodal officer and a separate counter would be open at the office of the directorate for registration of the ponies and all these steps are being initiated under the Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Policy 2016 aimed to preserve and protect the endangered equine breed.”
The Vet director goes on saying, “Field staff of the department would locate and visit pony owners. If the owners find it difficult to bring their ponies to the registration counter and department would register them at their stable of grazing grounds
A nominal registration fee of Rs 50/- will levied in return pony owners would be given grant or subsidy as well as financial assistance for maintaining the original Polo ponies.”
He went on to add that continue saying that the preservation effort of the polo ponies looks bright with the state government earmarking Rs 2 crores for the development and upkeeps of the 23 acres Marjing Polo complex at Heingang in Imphal east district.
Additionally the state is pitching for an additional of Rs 6 crores for the NABARD for the development of the Heingang Pony Sanctuary.
Reacting to the very first concrete step towards preservation and protection of Manipuri ponies, the president of Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association Haobijam Dilip Singh said, “registration of ponies is a sound step for its protection but the core issue should be what follows next.”
