Manipur Beyond Terror

Manipur Beyond Terror
Rajesh Verma*
Publication: the Other Side, Vol. 21,No. 9, September 2008 (p.p. 38-40)

India is one among the twelve mega biodiversity countries in the world with the North East and Western Ghats as the two identified global biodiversity hot spots. Manipur, which is referred as the ‘Jewel of India’, has an abundance of wetlands harboring rich biodiversity. Loktak Lake is the most important and ancient lake. It is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India and called as the "Floating lake" due to the formation of phumdis (floating islands). In the middle of the lake sanctuary, there is a national park known as Keibul Lamjao National Park.Giant mats of reeds and weeds dot Loktak lake. The reeds, which are covered with soil, support Manipur's world famous brow-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi), which the locals call Sangai. The lake plays an important role in the ecological balance and economic security of the region.

General Features

Loktak lake is a floodplain wetland of Manipur River, which is flooded by its lateral flows as well as back flow of water from Sugunu. Further, confluence of several rivers, particularly Chakpi, are responsible for inundation of large areas.

The lake is oval shaped with maximum length and width of 32 km and 13 km respectively. The depth of the lake varies between 0.5 and 4.6m with average recorded at 2.7m. The lake covers an area of 287 sq km. The elevation varies from 780 m at the foothills adjoining the central valley to about 2068 m above mean sea level at peak. There are 14 hills varying in size and elevation, appearing as islands, in the southern part of the lake. The most prominent among these are Sendra, Ithing and Thanga islands.

The characteristic feature of Loktak is the presence of floating islands, locally called phumdis. They are a heterogeneous mass of soil, vegetation and organic matter at various stages of decomposition.

Social & Cultural Values

Loktak lake has been considered to be the lifeline for the people of Manipur due to its importance in their socio-economic and cultural life, besides influencing the climate of the State. The socio - economic values of the lake include hydropower generation (Loktak Hydel National Project), irrigation of 24,000 ha of agricultural land, fisheries, control of floods, supply of drinking water, production of aquatic organisms of food and of commercial importance, and various uses of phoomdi and water transport. More than 100,000 people, on and around the lake, depend for their livelihood to a great extent on the lake fishery, which is now a mix of capture and culture systems. The lake yields about 1,500 tonnes of fish per year.

Biodiversity

The Loktak Lake with its numerous floating lands covers a variety of habitats which sustains rich biological diversity. The aquatic macro-phytes comprising 233 species belonging to emergent as well as submergent, free-floating and rooted floating-leaf types have been reported in the lake. A total of 425 species of animals (249 vertebrates and 176 invertebrates) have been identified from the lake.

The total faunal diversity is likely to be much higher as many species have not been properly described. The fauna includes some rare (e.g. the reptile Python molurus) and endangered species (e.g. Muntiacus muntjak and Cervus eldi eldi). At least one species of bird is reported to have become extinct.

Loktak Lake provides refuge to thousands of birds which belong to at least 116 species. Of these 21 species of waterfowl are migratory, most migrating from different parts of the northern hemisphere beyond the Himalayas.

Keibul Lamjao National Park

Gazetted as a sanctuary in 1969, Keibul Lamjao officially became a national park in 1977. It stretches over an area of about 40 sq km, surrounded by marshes, hillocks, and the lake itself. A number of streams too crisscross Keibul Lamjao, which, combined with extensive marshes, make the park a typical wetland. This Park is the last natural refuge of the sangai, with an estimated population of 106 (in 1991).

The Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating National Park in the world. It is situated on phumdies. It is also the home of other endangered species including a species of python (Python molurus molurus). It has been the breeding ground of a number of migratory fishes from the Irrawady - Chindwin river system and continues to be vital as a fish habitat. It is of enormous socio - economic importance for the inhabitants of Manipur valley.

The saga of Sangai

Locally known as Sangai, this sub-species of deer was reported to be completely extinct in 1951, but a fresh survey conducted revealed that a few animals still existed in the park. Sangai are specially adapted to this floating habitat, with their characteristic hooves unlike other deer species which help the animal walk conveniently over the floating islands. A much-loved creature in Manipuri folklore and dance tradition (so much so that it's even known as the `dancing deer'), the sangai after being re-discovered, has finally become Keibul Lamjao's prime attraction.

Ithai Barrage

In 1983, a multipurpose project was commissioned for generation of hydel power and irrigation by construction of a barrage at Ithai. This has brought about drastic changes in hydrological system and converted a natural wetland with fluctuating water level into a reservoir with more or less constant water level. This has led to inclusion of Loktak Lake in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Construction of Ithai Barrage across Manipur River has interfered with the migration of fishes from Chindwin-Irrawady River system of Myanmar and consequently brought changes in the species composition. There has been an inundation of agricultural lands and displacement of people from flooded lands. The barrage has a negative effect on fish population and diversity. The decrease in the thickness of phumdis in the Keibul Lamjao National Park thereby threatening the survival of Sangai deer is also the result of the Ithai barrage.

Lake Management

Realizing the problems of Loktak Lake, the Government of Manipur constituted Loktak Development Authority (LDA) in 1986 for the overall improvement and management of the Lake. The objective of the Authority is to check deteriorating conditions of the lake and to bring about improvement of the lake along with the development in the fields of fisheries, agriculture, tourism and afforestation in consultation with the concerned departments of the State Government. The LDA in consultation with the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) prepared a Management Action Plan (MAP) at a total cost of Rs. 10.9 million in 1996 for a period of five years. The action plan could not be implemented as proposed in the plan due to lack of funds. With the limited funds mainly provided by Finance Commission and MoEF, LDA undertook activities such as afforestation in critical micro-watersheds, horticulture plantation, small scale engineering measure for erosion control, limited desiltation and dredging of channels, removal of phumdis from selected pockets of lake, peripheral bunding in the low-lying areas and widening of Moirang - Sendra road.

Loktak Lake in peril

The lake is under stress mainly due to pressure exerted by growing human population. Deforestation and shifting cultivation in the catchment area has promoted soil erosion resulting in increased lake siltation. The problem has further been aggravated by the prolific growth of phumdis. Besides, fertilizers from the catchment area and domestic sewage from Imphal city is carried by Nambul River, which finally discharges into the lake. Pesticides used in the agricultural fields are also washed off into the lake. In addition to above threats, encroachments through construction of fishponds, roads and settlements have gradually led to degradation of the lake ecosystem.

The vicarious problems of the Loktak Lake can be traced to the loss of vegetal cover in the catchment area and construction of barrages in the upstream and particularly Ithai Barrage in the southern part of the lake.

The specific issues

Siltation - Jhum cultivation, extensive deforestation and unscientific land use practices in the catchment area are responsible for deposition of large quantity of silt annually in the Lake.

Weed Infestation - Rapid proliferation of phumdis and aquatic weeds have led to reduced water holding capacity, deterioration of water quality, interference in navigation, and overall reduction in aesthetic values of the lake.

Loss of Biodiversity - The populations of migratory and resident waterfowl have declined during last few decades due to poaching and changes in ecological character of the lake. The habitat of Sangai deer in Keibul Lamjao National Park is threatened due to thinning of phumdis and poaching. Thirty five animal species (5 mammals, 3 birds, 9 reptiles, 3 amphibians, 12 fishes, 2 molluscs and 1 annelid) which were reported to exist abundantly in the past, have declined and are now disappearing gradually.

Decrease in Fisheries Production - Over exploitation, indiscriminate methods of fishing, extensive growth of phumdis and weeds are responsible for decrease in fisheries production.

Pollution – There is a deterioration of water quality due to the inflow of organo-chlorine pesticides and chemical fertilizers and municipal wastes.

Human Settlements

There are 55 rural and urban settlements around the lake with a total population of about 100,000 people. The natural levees of Manipur River and its tributaries are densely inhabited. The houses are made on stilts right into the marginal areas of the lake. A large number of fishermen live on the Thonga, Karang, Ithing and Sendra islands. Further, a large population of fishermen lives on some 688 floating huts of which many have been converted into permanent dwellings. It has been estimated that about 4000 people live in these floating huts for fishing activities. Apart from the people living in the close vicinity of the lake, it has been estimated that about 1,21,000 people live in 546 hill villages.

There is a greater need to protect and preserve the world’s famous and unique lake considering the human and environment needs. Various plans for conserving and using this lake should be created in such a way that humans and nature can co-exist. Sangai is one of the most visible attribute of Manipuri sub-nationalism. Will Manipuris wake up and work constructively as have they done for the Kangla fort to save this treasure from erasure? Else another Sharmila is in the offing!

*The author is a former Principal of Police School, Nagaland.