Manipur: Fishing Community of Loktak Lake demands effective implementation of Wetland Act 2017

Concerning the degrading condition of Loktak Lake, All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union Manipur (ALLAFUM) and Champu Khangpok Floating Village Welfare Committee (AKFVWC) jointly demanded the state government for effective implementation of Ramsar site guidelines and Wetland Act 2017 for successful conservation of Loktak Lake. Above this they urged to chart out the boundary of Loktak Lake and activities taken up in the lake.

Addressing the media in a press conference held at office of Indigenous Perspective, Chingmeirong Maning Leikai in Imphal East district Manipur on February 10, secretary of ALLAFUM, Rajen Oinam said that Loktak Lake is considered to be the treasure of Manipur. But no strict norms or regulations are effectively implemented in the lake which worsened the ecosystem of the lake each year.

He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently termed Loktak Lake as one of the unique cultural heritages of the country. As the leader of the country even acknowledge the significance of Loktak Lake, there is a need of concerted effort for effective implementation of Ramsar Site guidelines as the lake is enlisted amongst Ramsar Site in 1990. 

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Apart from this, the state government should execute Wetland Act 2017 properly.  The state government should chart out the boundary of the lake along with activities done so far in the lake because the lake was already announced as a unique cultural heritage of Manipur, he added.

He also pointed out that the act implemented by state government so called “The Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act 2006” is anti-social.

In this regard various movement and agitation was launched to repealed it. Under this act as many as 767 houses in Champu Khangpok Floating Village of Loktak Lake were set burned down in 2011 without prior information despite the fact that the said village was already recognised in 1991 census.
 
Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act 2006 doesn’t have enough norms about conservation of Loktak Lake. As such the state government should come up with rules that would surely focus on conservation of Loktak Lake. Conservation of Loktak Lake requires political will along with participation of local community settling around the lake, he added. 

He also strongly condemned the state government for not taking up any action in connection with misuse of fund allocated for Champu Khangpok (Floating Village in Loktak Lake) which was released in 2020 under Prime Minister Adarsh Gram Yojana of around Rs 20 lakh. 

Complained was already lodge in anti-corruption cell, vigilance cell and even press conference was also held six months back about the said matter. But state government remain deaf till date.