LDA sounds urgent call to safeguard Loktak, surrounding ecosystem
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR
Imphal, September 15 2023:
Chairman of Loktak Department Authority M Asnikumar has written a letter to Union Minister (Power, New and Renewable Energy) RK Singh to review a long-term environmental and socio-economic impact of Loktak Hydel Project which was commissioned in 1984 .
Copies of the letter were also submitted to the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
The appeal emphasizes the significance of Loktak Lake, which holds immense cultural, traditional, and economic importance in Manipur, apart from its ecological value.
The appeal also highlights the key concerns that includes the need to consider changes in hydrological patterns that have developed over the past 39 years, address the deteriorating ecology of Loktak Lake and its catchment area, and mitigate the impact on the socio-economic conditions of the communities dependent on the lake and its associate wetlands.
The importance of a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) that addresses the concerns was also emphasized in the appeal and proposes adequate financial provisions for effective implementation of necessary measures.
In the letter, the Chairman of LDA stresses that the rehabilitation and modernization of the Loktak Hydel Project by NHPC Ltd.
must prioritize sustainability, the well-being of local communities, and public interest.
In response, Sanjeev Sanyal from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister reached out to the Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC Ltd.
Faridabad (Haryana) with a letter emphasizing the importance of the lake as a National heritage site on August 11, 2023 .
Furthermore, in response to the appeal, the Wetland Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, has made reference to the directive given to NHPC regarding prior approval from the Ministry for the proposed modernization of the Loktak Hydel Project.
This directive was conveyed through a letter dated May 5, 2023, to the Chairman cum Managing Director, NHPC Ltd.
Faridabad (Haryana) .