Heingangpat a Pat only in name now
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 10 2021: Heingangpat has lost almost all its original sheen and only 30 percent of it now can be called 'wetland', said Pangambam Tomba, a 90-year-old retired Assistant Headmaster.

Heingangpat, also known as Ibudhou Marjing's Pat, was once a serene wetland and people used canoes to navigate in the water and fish, he said.

The 90-year-old made the comments when a team of journalists, as part of 'Know Your Sanctuaries' media campaign, visited Heingangpat on March 2 .

The campaign was organised by the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and All Manipur Working Journalists' Union.

Heingangpat is in the east of Heingang village, east of Imphal River.

Heingangpat a Pat only in name now

Marjing Ching is in the north of the wetland, bounded by Heingang Khong and Hannabi Ching in the south and southeast side respectively.

During the visit, the journalists observed that the Heingangpat is a wetland only in name with a major portion of it filled with ponds for pisciculture and structures for poultry farming.

When the Government is taking up efforts to conserve wetland, Heingangpat is facing a grim fate.

Conserving this wetland would be a mammoth task which requires all the efforts and cooperation from every sector.

The decline of Heingangpat was propelled by the Manipur State Durbar's order which allowed people to take up agricultural activities inside the wetland, said the retired Assistant Headmaster.

He said, "During Maharaja Bodhachandra's reign in 1943, the State Durbar gave the right to take up agricultural activities inside the Pat to people of Heingang village.

After this, the land was shared equally among 361 households of Heingang village" .

All the land owners have Pattas.

Heingangpat is about 120 Paris in area, but only 40 Paris are remaining as wetland.

About 50 percent of the total wetland area has been turned into fish farms.

"The wetland was first turned into agricultural land and later into farmland as agriculture activities are not suited anymore," he added.

He recalled that elders used to fish in the Pat on canoes and the wetland had provided them varieties of fish and vegetables.

"After each flood, the Pat would give fishermen abundant fish.

The fishermen used to catch Khajing, Nagkra, Ngaprum etc," he added.

Significantly, many firms and societies are engaged in farm (poultry and fish) activities in the wetland and the Department of Fisheries and authorities concerned are assisting them by providing loans and equipment.

One such society is Marjing Pisciculture Cooperative Society, a registered body operating since the last 4 years.

It had recently applied for loans to dig ponds and install a hatchery and the officials concerned have conducted surveys to provide the loans.