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While
Imphal valley region can be understood as an area of intense
economic activities, the Manipur hill area, on the other hand
can be seen as an area of low level of economic development
yet having much prospects.
Notwithstanding
diversities in the physical and economic factors above, a
great deal of interdependence exists between the two, which
makes them a well-knit fabric of interactions. The Manipur
hill area has rich reserve of natural resources which is
exploited in the central valley for economic and industrial
development. In the central valley, where there is no forest
wealth, there are number of industries based on forest
resources. This region, therefore, depends entirely on the
hill region for the supply of firewood, timber and other
forest products. The shifting cultivation practised in the
hills leads to deforestation and soil erosion in the hills and
silting of the rivers and lake beds causing floods in the
plain. Ecologically also, therefore, the two regions form
inseparable part of the total system.
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