Imphal
Even as Manipur is battling with protracted ethnic violence, the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) and the fishing community that is facing the impact of indiscriminate hunting of waterfowl and the illegal use of the electric shock method for fishing, has made an appeal to the public to emerge as responsible guardians of this invaluable natural resource.
Famous for its floating islands and picturesque landscape, Loktak Lake in Manipur’s Bishnupur District is one of the largest freshwater bodies in northeast India. Three of northeast India’s most important ecosystems Rudrasagar Lake in Tripura, Deepor Beel in Assam and Loktak Lake in Manipur are categorised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Held in February 1971 at Ramsar in Iran, the Ramsar Convention provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources. Loktak Development Authority (LDA) Chairman, Asni Kumar Singh, said that encompassing an area of about 26,000 hectares and being the state’s fishery resource, the lake is not just a source of livelihood but a goddess to the people of Manipur and a mother to the fisher community. It is the cradle of Manipuri civilisation and culture.
Appealing to the communities dwelling around Loktak Lake, Asni Kumar Singh has asked them to discontinue the illegal use of the electric shock method of fishing and illicit hunting of waterfowl and endangered species of migratory birds by using firearms.
Emphasising the ecological, socio-economic, and cultural significance of Loktak Lake, Asni Kumar Singh highlighted its pivotal role as a cradle of Manipur’s civilisation.
