Locals briefed on Loktak's geo-tourism potential
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 14 2023:
Geological Survey of India, Manipur & Nagaland state unit, Imphal Camp office and Regional Training Division, Shillong under the aegis of ADG & HoD of GSI, North Eastern Region organised a one-day awareness programme on 'Loktak Lake: A Geo Tourism Site of India' at Thanga Salam in Bishnupur district on Friday as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The programme was organised with the objective to create awareness on the geological feature of the lake and its scientific importance among the students and local residents.
GSI officials spoke on the importance of such awareness in the initiative to protect and conserve the largest freshwater lake in the northeast India, which plays a major role in the natural ecosystem of the state.
They also spoke on the relation among the state's geology, tectonic evolution and Loktak Lake, and highlighted the potential of the lake as a geo tourism location of the country.
T-shirts and pamphlets were also distributed to the participants, who later carried out poster campaigns in important areas of the lake.
Loktak Lake, characterised by floating islands known as Phumdis, has been designated as a wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.Geologically, Loktak Lake belongs to the Quaternary deposits and occupies the youngest morphostratigraphic sequence amongst the Quaternary deposits of Manipur with its origin as a part of lacustrine Imphal valley.
Its relative age is Late Holocene to Recent.
The programme was attended by the principal, teaching & non-teaching staff and students of Thanga Higher Secondary School along with officials/leaders of local clubs.
During the programme invitees expressed their deep concern over the extensive overgrowth of Phumdis (aquatic plants) and the deteriorating condition of the lake in the past few decades.
They stressed that only through geological/scientific knowledge the lake can be restored to its natural pristine beauty.
GSI is the premier organisation of Earth Science in India that studies various aspects of the mineral potential of the nation, evolution of life, fossils, earthquake among others.
GSI is also the nodal agency for landslide studies in India.
The various activities and significant achievements of the organisation are available on the official website (www.gsi.gov.in) .