Capitalism and Loktak lake environmental crisis

Khwairakpam Gajananda *

A settlement at Loktak lake :: Pix - Sushil Khomdram

Before the advent of the 1980s (only three decades back), the biodiversity of Loktak Lake was tremendously large. The fauna of the lake, such as migratory birds, Sangai (Brow Antlered Deer), wild boars, tortoises, etc. strayed occasionally on the streets of the adjacent villages of Loktak Lake. Pythons were seen climbing on top of the trees, cranes nestling amongst the bamboo trees of the backyards, crows cawing now and then, frogs (barring Rana Tigrina locally known as Moreh Hangoi) croaking near the ponds, fried or roasted indigenous Manipuri fishes varieties (Khabak, Ngaton, Pengba, Tharak) coming on top of the dishes and sparrows nestling in the thatched roof of the verandas. Bats zooming passed our forehead after dark. Large flocks of migratory birds flew across the sky in delicate geometrical formations. During those days, nobody imagined that these animals and birds would disappear from our backyards or ponds, lakes and rivers.

The once abundant floras of the catchment areas (some local names of floras are: Kawkha, Kawthum, Tharo, Thamban, Thamchet, Thambou, Yenna, Yelli, Heikak, Kambong, Kaona, Thanjing, Waikrow) slowly diminished and threatened to extinctions. Pitiably, our young generation lost the chances of knowing the floristic and faunistic diversities of the lake. Not long before, 'Waikrow' (bulbous roots of grass variety found in swampy areas) in distinctive tastes, such as 'milk Waikrow' or 'chuhi (red sugar) Waikrow', added to the floral biodiversity of the Loktak Lake. Of late, all of them gone and the lake biodiversity changed drastically.

Earlier, sailing boats from one locality to another and back were day-to-day affairs. But today, venturing out and passing through the circular fishes rearing sites (athaphums) of the indigenous fishing communities are becoming hurdles. The heterogeneous floating biomasses (phumdi) and the circular athaphums for fishing has increased manifold and plagued the lake (about 70% of the lake is now covered by phumdis and athaphums).

Recently, the Government of Manipur had cleared some of the floating huts and is trying to make a 'buffer zone' to preserve Loktak Lake. However, some of the environmentalists and NGOs of Manipur interfered and asked for compensations for the fishing communities. On the other hand, many environmentalists, NGOs and journalists are against it. Capitalism of the finite natural resources of Loktak Lake by private, public and State actors have given tremendous pressures to this lake.

Mismanagement of the Loktak Lake and the migrations of local peoples for profits are established facts. Exploitations of the lake are becoming multi-million businesses to the government, public and private. National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd intentions to siphon off the water for power generations and corporate developments, at the same time irresponsible on the parts of conservation, management, awareness or campaign on the deteriorating environmental conditions of the Loktak Lake, need to be highlighted. The corporation is harnessing water resources on a continuous basis since the commissioned year of 1983 (NHPC is an ISO-14000 certified organization).

The scandalous Rs. 224 Crores scam by the Government of Manipur (GoM), Loktak Development Authority (LDA), K-Pro Infra Works Limited, Delhi and the black listed company Progressive Constructions Limited (PCL), Hyderabad — are well published in both national and state Media. The controversial Manipur's Loktak Lake Protection Act-2006 (LPA-2006), prepared without proper researches or in consultations with the local people, is also becoming a bone of contention. Wealthy and rich locals, owning floating hut (phumshang) in the middle of the lake — are some of the few illustrations of the administrative and management follies of the past in terms of conserving the Loktak Lake's environment.

Within the last few decades, the lake environment has changed drastically. Plastics ropes, bottles, polythene bags, corrugated tins used for roofing, bamboos used for anchoring the phumdis and athaphums, rocks collected from the bank of Loktak Canal (during 80s and 90s) and other products dumped into the lake. Pesticides used for killing fishes, kerosene or petroleum products poured over the water to prevent mosquitoes breeding, expired drugs (antibiotic as well as other allopathic) thrown into the lake, then encircling individual territories for athaphums, pollutants brought by the rivers, etc. — all these materials or pollutants finally find its way at the bottom of the lake. The outbreak of the fish's disease 'Holo-ulceritis' or UDS (ulcerative disease symptoms), during the 1990s, was due to highly polluted water body and the victims to this disease were mainly the indigenous fishes. Antibiotic drugs are emerging contaminants because of its many sides or synergistic effects on both the environment (flora and fauna) and human (especially pregnant women).

In spite of the strict rules and regulations to preserve the endangered Sangai; the villagers, time and again poached the deer for their meats. Netting and killing of migratory birds and selling at higher prices are becoming lucrative business. Recent reports in leading news media's of poachers caught with Sangai meat inside Keibul Lamjao National Park is a clear indication to the dwindling number of endangered deer. The impacts of Ithai Barrage to the declining Sangai population are less. However, poaching, habitat destructions and encroachments of the National Park are the main culprit for the depleting population of Sangai. Efforts are on to count and conserve/preserve migratory birds and Sangai's in Manipur; however, efforts to bring poachers to book are minimal.

Without proper management of the lake, 'Hydroseric Succession' (shallowing of the lake) and other undesirable consequences will follow, and Loktak Lake will become abysmal. The lake is a 'pulsating lake' i.e. during the rainy season, the size increases and during the dry season it reduced. The perennial rivers and streams, which flow into Loktak Lake, bring sediments everyday in their courses to the lake. Continuous soil erosions in the hilly terrain due to deforestation, further enhances the processes of shallowing of the lake. Ithai Barrage (Ungamel Channel) is the only outlet from this lake, which has both pros and cons. The outlet, since geological time scales (before the building of Ithai Barrage) removes only the excesses water and practically no sediments, except the floating biomasses. The depression is filled up with sediments and decayed floating biomasses and in the course of time, converted into terrestrial landform — examples are the extinct lakes in Imphal areas. Naturally, life of a lake is not permanent. However, anthropogenic interferences of the lake further decreased the life span of the lake.

Ithai Barrage, on the other hand, obstructs the periodic spawning fishes to swim upstream to Loktak Lake. This can be minimized by providing an eco-friendly spawning fishes passages (e.g. Fish's ladders or lifts) at the dam site.

Large tracts of fertile agricultural fields were inundated due to the blockage by this dam, depriving farmers for their livelihood. However, efforts of LDA to make a boundary of the lake and release of excesses phumdis and the menacing Eichhornia crassipes (Kabokang) through Ithai Barrage during rainy seasons is worth mentioning. But the proliferation of private phums and athaphums by accumulating and trapping of the floating biomasses hinder the processes of cleansing it — naturally or artificially. All the stakeholders are benefiting from this lake, and then anyone can ask, "Who Own Loktak Lake?"

Loktak Lake is 'no man's land'. It is a public property of 2.7 million populations of Manipur and is the direct or indirect income sources to the State. The fisher-folks 'right to live and coexist' only happened when they really concern for their lake environment and diverting their minds from the influence of 'greediness' to the concept of 'sustainable living'. People from different districts like Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Ukhrul, have equal rights to fish in this lake, just like anyone from the vicinity of the lake. All the above factors, gave chances to the GoM to evict hundreds of poor fisher-folks from Loktak Lake. If anything happens on Loktak Lake, it is the 'tragedy of common!'

Previously, genuinely poor fisher-folks were never identified, but rather marginalized. The rich and powerful goons, today, hold the lake and its resources. It is true; Loktak Lake has been a sacred lake and inhabited by the indigenous communities of Manipur since time immemorial. But, how many poor families are depended to or are having phumshang in the lake is questionable?

Proper management of the lake would have taken up the steps of allowing phumshangs and athaphums in limited and identified numbers, sizes, locations, along with certain dos and don'ts to the economically weaker sections of the society. The provision for rotations of phumshang, every four or five years, to the deserving candidates is not in the guidelines or law books of Manipur. How many athaphum fisher-folk can own as her/his property is not clearly indicated? Unwanted athaphums were never removed to preserve the lake environment.

The Google Earth's satellite imagery showed Loktak Lake is infested with large numbers of athaphums (Figure 1). The ecological crisis of the lake is seemingly visible. To curb these problems, taxing the owner/s of athaphum for using public properties will not only minimize the numbers but also generate revenues for the State. Presently, there is no rule or regulation to control fishing in this lake. A fisherman can catch fishes from its larval-form to its adulthood. Thus, it would be relevant for the decision and law maker/s to strictly enforced laws and rules for catching fishes. Using of traditional fishing systems should be encouraged for tourism and sustainable development and relying on modern tools should be banned.

If properly managed, Loktak Lake can become training sites for various water-sports and produced many more national and international athletes — who will bring laurels for the State and the Nation. The constructions of jetties around the villages and development of the Komlakhong, Water Sports Complex, should be welcomed — similarly, more complexes should also follow suits.

Establishment of an 'Institute' or a 'Center', dedicated to high level scientific researches, exclusively for Loktak Lake, will bridge the gaps and understand the many hidden secrets of this internationally significant wetland (Ramsar Site) and fragile ecosystem. Celebrating Loktak 'week' or 'month' every year, when no humans are allowed to be fishing or venturing out within a designated boundary will help the lake ecosystem — replenished to the certain extent of its natural state.

Clearing/dredging of biomasses or evictions of indigenous communities from Loktak Lake alone, will not solve problems in the long-run. It is just a quick-fixed solution. Long-term solutions can only be brought about with the development of the catchment areas of Loktak Lake; systematic ecological management; check-damming rivers or streams that brought pollutants/sediments to the lake; environmental awareness to the general public's and understanding the delicate hydrological systems.

As the population increases exponentially in Manipur, the numbers of fisher-folks will also expand manifold. In this scenario, the 'carrying capacity' of the lake will drastically be reduced, and the result will be a 'dead' Loktak Lake. Thus, it is imperative for the individuals, NGOs, Media, Corporate Organizations and Government Agencies, to make the indigenous people aware about the importance of Loktak Lake, its environment, socio-economy, history and in tackling the changing climates of Manipur. It is also pertinent to mention here that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples does not justify polluting community. Rather, it took the principle of 'Polluters Pay!'

If the Loktak Lake community participated and managed the lake in a responsible and sustainable manner, no force in this world would be able to take away their resources. However, at the present moment, our fisher-folks are silent in terms of their involvements/commitments in conserving their lake. Nevertheless, we hope, one-day; we will realize the negative impacts and come-up with more favorable positive impacts. As of now, we should appreciate the miraculous rejuvenating power of our lake — if not perturbed by us.