Present ecological condition of Loktak lake deliberated
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, May 18 2022: Loktak Development Authority(LDA) Chairman M Asnikumar held a meeting with high ranking officials of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd to discuss the present ecological condition of the Loktak lake and the State Govt's mission to conserve the lake from further degradation yesterday.

The meeting resolved to regulate the Lake's water level by opening the Ithai barrage during peak monsoon to flush out excess biomass, grass, weeds and pollutants from the lake through Khordak and Ungamel channels.

This will be done jointly by the NHPC, LDA and local people and is expected to make a real difference in restoration of the lake's natural cycle and to avoid the flow of small fingerlings through the main channel of Ningthoukhong so as to prevent unnecessary loss of fish during electricity production.

This will be done after devising a feasible mechanism to ensure both issues are solved with minimal loss.

The meeting also discussed about the construction of Bailey bridge over Khordak river by the NHPC at the earliest and removal of the existing mini dam over Khordak river.

Further it was also decided to help improve sanitation of the fishing community folks who are settled in the lake by NHPC and to pay a joint visit (by LDA and NHPC officials) to the Loktak Lake area and Ithai barrage so as to assess the ground situation at the earliest.

During the meeting, NHPC assured its support and cooperation of the State Government's Loktak Conservation Mission.

Today, as a follow up action of the above meeting, LDA Chairman conducted an onsite joint inspection with high ranking NHPC officials at the sites of the Loktak project canal and the Ithai barrage.

During the inspection, an extra sluice gate of the Ithai barrage was opened (in addition to the earlier 3 open gates) by the NHPC to aid in the flushing out of weeds, grass, excess biomass and pollutants from the Loktak Lake.

Chairman of LDA, M Asnikumar also said that in coordination with all the stakeholders concerned, more follow up actions will take place in the coming days.

Restoring the natural cycle of Loktak Lake, preserving and maintaining it for the present as well as for future generations is one of the primary components of the State Government's environmental agenda under the Chief Minister's leadership, the LDA Chairman added.

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