Workshop on Loktak Lake held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 17, 2012:
Loktak Development Authority organised a one day 'Stakeholder consultation workshop on water allocation policy for Loktak Lake, Manipur' at Hotel Nirmala today.
As chief guest of the workshop College Development Council Director of Manipur University RK Ranjan opined that such a programme should have been organised since years back on a regular basis in order to evolve an effective mechanism for purposeful usage of the Loktak water.
Suggesting that preservation of the Lake is highly dependent on sanitising various rivers that flow into the Loktak Lake, he also urged people settled in the periphery of the fresh water body to contribute their mite in protecting Loktak Lake.
In his address, Lecturer (Retd) H Kula noted that due to rapid increase in population from the early 1950s number of people settled in the periphery of the Lake have also multiplied with similar change in the demography along the river banks subsequently resulting in the pollution of Loktak Lake as residents are of the concept that rivers are dumping sites.
He also regretted that development of Loktak hydro electric project and Ithai Barrage had been a cause of concern for the people of Manipur as several hectares of prime agricultural land have been submerged.
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Moreover, there is no sign of the power project benefiting the people other than causing widespread destruction, Kula highlighted.
The retired lecturer also ridiculed eviction drive carried out at the Lake in November last under the concept that removing the Loktak settlers would be able to protect the fresh water body instead of focusing on ensuring cleanliness along the river beds.
He further suggested that a mechanism be put in place to contain and collect waste materials before they are carried to the Loktak Lake.
The workshop was held under the aegis of Wetlands International South Asia (WISA), New Delhi under the objective of allocating water for human uses and ecological purposes for Loktak Lake and associated wetlands within Manipur river basin.
LDA Director Th Ibobi Singh and WISA Director Relesh Kumar also attended the workshop.