Incursion deals severe blow to Waithoupat
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 08 2020: The sorry state of affairs concerning Waithoupat, which is one of the waterbodies of Manipur targeted by the State Government to be restored to its former pristine condition, is such that one can easily drive a vehicle right upto the middle of the so called waterbody.

Waithoupat, which was once a prime contributor in maintaining the water balance and ecology in the State, is now filled to the brim with fish farms and the waterbody now exists only in namesake due to the process of constructing these fish farms.

Incursion deals severe blow to Waithoupat

On a visit to Waithoupat, The Sangai Express witnessed that most of the fish farm owners had filled the water with earth so as to create embankments or boundaries for their farms and some were even seen using heavy machinery or excavator to move the earth and create embankments for the farms.

However, despite such human activities on the waterbody, a few winter migratory birds like Nganu Thangong or Ruddy Shelduck could be seen roosting at some parts of Waithoupat.

It may be mentioned that the State Wetland Authority has already selected Waithoupat for necessary restoration to its original condition and the body (State Wetland Authority) has started working with the Revenue Department to chalk out the exact area/detail of the waterbody.

Speaking to The Sangai Express about the changing condition of Waithoupat, environmentalist Dr Kh Shamungou said that if the waterbody vanishes, it will impact not only the ecosystem but also lead to the extinction of certain fish species which are found in the lake.

Waithoupat also plays a critical role in maintaining water balance during floods, which will be impossible if it is lost, he said, adding that the negative impact will be far reaching and will also be felt on the cultures/traditions which are closely linked to the waterbody.

On the other hand, extremely few Nganu Thangong birds could be seen coming to Tangjeng Pat at Kakching district this year, even though the said waterbody used to be flocked by a huge number of migratory birds in the past.