Imphal, October 28: With the Government disengaging from taking up measures to save the Loktak Lake citing financial constraints, the overall eco-system of the lake has degraded to a dangerous level.

Apprehensions have been sounded from several quarters that the Loktak Lake may go the way of Lamphelpat and Keishampat.

The shallowing of the lake which contributes substantially to fish production, water chestnut, Thangjing for the around 24 lakh people of the State besides supplying power to several States in the North East, is one of the biggest worries of the environmentalists.

Once the lake dries up, the Loktak Project will fail and the State will see acute power shortage and it will also give a blow to the small scale industries which mostly depends on power for its functioning.

Moreover, there will be drastic climatic changes as the lake has been acting as a key factor in its control.

The Loktak Development Authority (LDA) has also been compelled to give up work for development and preservation of the lake as the 11th Finance Commission did not include any fund for the lake in its budget.

If the floating biomass is not cleared and the siltation not dredged soon, the lake will face drastic changes which will directly affect the economic condition of the people who are deriving their income from the lake produce.

Another matter which needs special attention is the dumping of garbage into the lake by the Nambul river.

Tonnes of garbage and decomposed materials are being brought down to the lake by the river everyday.

Yangoi near Toubul, which is the meeting point of Nambul river and Loktak Lake is filled with slush and decomposed discards which has polluted water.

The material reaching Yangoi include plastic and polythene items, shoes and sandals, glass items and animal carcasses.

However, the Government has not done anything to check the waste products though the people continue consuming fish products from the lake.

Some fishermen are not satisfied with the work of the LDA.

They said no marked change has been seen from the LDA initiatives except the clearing of the biomass and dredging of the lake bed.

The LDA had been getting funds from the Finance Commission, Wetland International South Asia and India-Canada Environmental Facility.

All the siltation tanks installed at the river mouths to trap eroded soil and slush have not been functioning for a long time.

At certain points, the level of siltation has become higher than the level of the lake water.

The siltation has significantly decreased the depth of the lake.

Expectedly the dangers posed to the very existence of the lake have worried historians and environmentalists.

Comment