Thanga Karang :: An inside story of Keibul Lamjao National park

Rahul Ashem *

A Panoramic 360 view of Thanga Karang - To view it in full, click here

Thanga is around 50 km from Imphal. The one and only National Park "Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP)" is close by to Thanga. Thanga is the buffer zone of Keibul Lamjao. The people residing here depends their livelihoods mostly on the park area. Loktak, the largest fresh water lake in the North Eastern region is only a few metres away from the keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP).

Different kinds of fishes are found here, but the most wanted species for the Manipuri people "Sareng" is not included. Thanga people believed that the loss of Sareng from the Loktak is mainly due to the construction of Ithai Barrage Dam. Ungamel channel has disturbed and make vulnerable the Loktak Wetland Ecosystem (LWE). The natural process of river tributaries and wetland sustaining the environment integrity and diverse species of Manipur is completely disturbed after the barrage.

Likewise, Pengba, Ngakijou, Ngaton,Ngahei, Ngakra, Ngamu,Ukabi, Khajin and other colors of water fauna are come to an end from this saline less lake. Some of the common species still survives are Silver Crap, Grass Crap, Rohu, Kandala, Ngakha, Ngabemma, Ngaprum, Ngaril, Phabounga etc. Spirogyras (Charang), Yaipal, Eshing kambong, Komprek, Loklei, Pullei, Heikak, Yelli, Kolamni, Thanjing are the plant species adding to the water ecosystem of Loktak Lake. The other vegetation with rooted floating plants comprises Thambal, Tharo etc.

In another sense, Thanga is one of the important tourist centre of Manipur and the most favorite spot for the attraction is the "Thanga Karang ", an Island surrounded by Loktak on all sides. The Island itself is like a small peak covered by thick forest at one time but completely changes to human settlements. There are 300/400 house hold people living inside the Island.

Fishing is the common form of trade for the living. They make their living by fishing, earn by fishing and occupation by fishing. The work is done with the help of locally made boat or heenao, one boat, one person style, basically made from the tree species of tairen, ucham or uningthou, and this is the only connecting linkage with the outside world.

The Island are now volatile, encroachers are eating into the environment, pushing disturbance and animal (Indian rock python, Stump tail macaque, Marbled cat, Golden cat and mainly Sangai at one time) out of its territory. If there was 10 family living within the Island area 30 years back, it has grown into 40 separate families and so on. The government proposal for creating buffer areas gives forest department greater control over land, irrespective of whether they are used for agriculture or other farm purposes.

The mandate was to identify areas that are ecologically sensitive and broadly suggest a regional development strategy to examine the current experience of some of the ecologically sensitive areas. People's participation is vital to achieving environment and people friendly environment.

As per the guidelines, buffer zones are the areas which lie in the periphery of core areas, also known as the critical animal habitats where animal breeding takes place and are meant to be kept free of any disturbance, including tourism. The buffer zones constitute the fringe areas of animal reserves up to a distance of 10 km. (This is meant only for tiger and other critically endangered species including the sangai)

The Island has phumdi's blanket covered on all sides not only make the Island beautiful but also give a shine to the people of Thanga Karang. The term "Phumdi " is a locally use word by Manipuri's, are vast morasses of floating organic matters and main ingredients for forming are Phragmites karka (tou), Singut ( no scientific name given), Saccharum munja (kohinum), Saccharum latifolia (ishing kabong), Alpinia allughas ( pubi), Saccharum procerum ( singnang). Inspite the above mention, Sangai preferred to have Zizania latifolia, Saccharum atifolium, Erianthus capllepedium and Learsia hexandra.

Sangai, the State animal of Manipur like to live in phumdis and spent most of the time there in phumdi. Out of the three species of Rucervus family, Sangai is the only one opted to the floating national park of Manipur, the other two animal are Swamp Deer of Madhya Pradesh and Himalayan Terai and Hangal of Kashmir valley. The Sangai is under the wildlife protection act of 1972 and is in the critically endangered category of the IUCN Red Data and Appendix 1 of CITES. The numbers of population in the entire park area show sign of decline, according to the latest census report.

A major possible cause indicates the highest level of eutrophication in the Loktak Lake and the clearance of Phumdi process, which is unfriendly to the environment. Other issues like Sangai- Human conflict, poaching, traps and electroculation are quite common. The central government has providing assistance to state governments for improving of habitat to augment food and water availability to reduce movement of animals from the forests to the habitation, encouraging state governments for creation of a network of protected areas and wildlife corridors for conservation of wildlife.

Providing technical and financial support for development of necessary infrastructure and support facilities for immobilization of problematic animals through transquilisation, their translocation to the rescue centre or release back to the natural habitats. Measurable steps is just a far away, animals are dying, theory is on the rock and practically, it is like a tell tale story.

The union cabinet has already approved the promulgation of a law that bring into effect a buffer zone in the 5 km radius around the Jarawa tribal settlement in Andaman and Nicobar islands. The law provides for tough penal provisions to deter unauthorized entry, photography, videography, hunting, use of alcohol, inflammable material or biological germs or over advertisements to attract tourist in the buffer zone. Any violation can attract a prison sentence of 3-7 years and a fine up to 10,000.

Save Loktak, Save Sangai, and Save Keibul Lamjao National Park: Green economy is a better option

Check list for the given Fishes, Plants, Trees and Animal species-

• Sareng- Wallago attu
• Pengba- Osteobrama belangeri
• Ngakijou- Lepidocephalus guntea
• Khajing- Macrobrachium dayanum
• Silver carp- Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
• Grass carp- Ctenonopharyngo don idella
• Rohu – Labeo rohita
• Kandala- No
• Ngakra- Clarias batrachus
• Ngamu- Channa orientalis
• Ngakha- No
• Ngabemma- Colisa fasciatus
• Ngaprum- Monopterus albus
• Ngaril- Anguilla bengalensis
• Phabounga- puntius sophore
• Ngahei- Eutropiichthys vacha
• Ukabi- Anabas testudineus
• Charang- Spirogyra species
• Yaipal- Cucurma augutifolia
• Loklei- Hedychium coronarium
• Pullei- Alpinia nigra
• Eshing kambong- Zizania latifolia
• Komprek- Oenanthe javanica
• Kolamni- Ipomea aquatica
• Tairen- Cedrela toona
• Ucham- Artocarpus chaplasha
• Uningthou- Phoebe lanceolata
• Sangai- Rucervus eldi eldi
• Swamp Deer- Cervus duvaucelii
• Hangal- Cervus elaphus hanglu