ALLAFUM questions Govt's move on inland waterways project
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 13 2024:
The All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) has questioned the Government of Manipur's "arbitrary" move to push ahead its (Loktak) Inland Waterways Project without taking into confidence the local fishing community settled within and around the Loktak Lake.
The Loktak Inland Waterways Project will have a direct impact on the fishing community.
However, the Government has not invited them as primary stake-holders in the State level discus- sion on the project, said Oinam Rajen, secretary of the fishers' union in a statement.
The proposed project is likely to have negative impacts on the overall ecology of the lake and the livelihoods of hundreds of fishing families who practice traditional fisheries and depend on the lake entirely for their livelihoods, he said.
The Transport Department organized an interac- tion session on the Inland Waterways Project at the Old Secretariat's conference hall on Friday (January 12) and at the Loktak Development Authority office on Saturday (January 13) in absence of members and representatives of the fishing community.
While the All Manipur Entrepreneur Association (AMEA), which "isn't related to the matter", was invited to the session, the department "wilfully ignored" the Loktak fishers, he said.
The Joint Secretary of Transport, on January 9 had issued a notification for conducting the interaction session without directly referring to the Government's earlier proposal--Loktak Inland Waterways Improvement Project which was met with stiff opposition from the Loktak fishers on the ground that the project may negatively affect the lake's ecosystem and the livelihoods of the fishers, Oinam Rajen said.
The interaction session was called on the behest of the Member (Logistics), Inland Waterways Authority of India, Government of India, based at Noida in the Delhi NCR, he added.
This new development took place in the backdrop of a High Court direction that prohibits development works in and around Loktak Lake without its permission.
The direction was given by a division bench of the High Court of Manipur consisting then Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice A Bimol in February 2022 .
The High Court's instruction came following directions from the Supreme Court of India on maintaining the status of Ramsar sites throughout the country, Oinam Rajen said.
In 2017, the High Court had also initiated a Public Interest Litigation (PIL No 24 of 2017) on its own motion and had sought the State Government's response on the management and conservation measures.
The Court had then asked the State to ensure that developmental projects do not negate the overall status of the lake ecology considering Loktak's status as a Ramsar site of international importance.
Loktak Lake's hydrological regime had been entirely upset due to the regulation of water by Ithai Barrage of the Loktak Hydroelectric Power Project since its commissioning in June, 1983.The barrage has caused ecological and environmental disaster within the Manipur River Basin areas covering Loktak Lake and its associated water bodies.
Years of ecological degradation has led to biodiversity loss and considerably impacted the fishing community negatively, said Oinam Rajen.
ALLAFUM strongly resents the Government moving forward with its Inland Waterways Project without taking into confidence the fishing community dependent on Loktak Lake and considering the possible negative impacts on the Lake's ecosystem, he said.