BJP demands amendment of Loktak protection Act
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 13 2011:
Asserting that the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act 2006 has hurt the livelihood of fishermen who depend on the resources of Loktak lake, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Manipur Pradesh has, today, demanded an amendment of the Act.
The Act which aims at protecting and conserving the only fresh water lake in the North Eastern Region passed in 2006 divides the lake into two zones as Core and Buffer.
The Act must be amended, Salam Ibohal, spokesperson of BJP, told reporters in a press conference held at the party office.
He alleged that the Act prohibits people from entering into the Core Zone which snatches the means of livelihood of hundreds of people.
Ibohal opined that the Act would break the age-old bond between the lake and its people.
The Act does not allow villagers to freely carry out various chores of livelihood activities which the villagers have been following since time immemorial.
The ongoing cleaning of phumdi would disturb the natural eco-system of the lake as flora and fauna found on the phumdi would vanish, he said.
Ibohal also said that phumdi clearing will affect the habitat of many birds who live on the phumdi.
Fishermen have been protesting against the enforcement of the Act.
Government has also assured of amending the Act in the floor of the Assembly in response to a discussion on a private bill tabled in one of the Assembly sessions a year back.
The Chief Minister had also, on many occasions, assured of amending the Act if any of the provisions of the Act would hurt the interest of the fishermen.
But no action to amend the Act has taken up so far, he lamented.