KTT fellowship on Manipur’s Dying Water Resources

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, September 1, 2019: The Khelen Thokchom Trust (KTT) is inviting eligible journalists from Manipur to apply for a six month Khelen Thokchom Media Fellowship program 2019-20 for journalists to study, highlight and report on “Manipur’s Dying Water Resources”.

The selected applicant will be provided a stipend Rs 50,000 and the duration of his/her work will be from November 2019 – April 2020. The fellowship amount will be given on an installment basis.

This is the second edition of media fellowship of KTT. The first edition of KTMF program was awarded on ‘Prospects of the game of Cricket in Manipur’ considering the necessity to understand the potential of playing cricket among people living in Manipur which produces numerous world class sportspersons in different sports disciplines.

This time KTT choose the topic “Manipur’s Dying Water Resources” to inform the general public on existing issues on water through media considering the current challenges in protecting and conserving our water resources.

KTT felt that urbanization, deforestation, encroachments, conversion of the low lying areas into farms, disposal of garbage, leaching of chemical fertilizers, release of unhygienic watery waste from households, other toxic chemicals into drain and water bodies besides aging and the climate change are the major causes of degrading, polluting and ultimate dying of the water resources in Manipur. Rainwater, groundwater and wetlands were the main water sources of Manipur which comprises of 1,820 sq km of flat alluvial valley and 20,507 sq km of hilly terrain which forms a part of the Himalayan mountain system.

Journalists who worked as a reporter/correspondent/contributor of newspapers/periodicals with three years of experience in print journalism can apply for the fellowship and explore the issues and concerns of the above topic.

KTT encourage the media fellow to highlight the economics and ecosystems of the state’s water resources besides introducing innovative ideas to protect and conserve the surface or underground or rain water through his/her writing to spread public awareness in safeguarding our ponds, well, rivers, springs, lakes and wetlands etc.

KTT spokesperson Rinku Khumukcham inviting journalists to apply for the fellowship said the selected applicant should generate a minimum of eight news stories (each story should have 1500 words), based on the research carried out under the fellowship.

Original clippings of the published news stories will have to be submitted on the completion of the KTMF program. They are also expected to take and submit photographs of the areas they travel in for their stories.

The selection of applicants will be done by a jury of eminent media experts. The last date for submitting the application would be September 20, 2019. The selected applicant will be announced on October 27 during the birth Anniversary observation of late Khelen Thokchom.

The selected journalist is encouraged to attend a sensitisation session as well.

An application along with Bio-data, a letter of support from the editor that the output under the fellowship will be published (mandatory for all candidates), a minimum of one sample of ‘published report’ on environment and water issues if any should be submitted to Coordinator, KTMF C/o Pureiromba Enterprises, Konung Mamang (Palace Gate) near Pureiromba Khongnang, Imphal East District – 795 005 (Daily office timing 10am – 5pm except Sunday) before September 20, 2019.