Imphal, September 28 2010: Sixty percent of the phumdi (floating biomass) clearance works in Loktak Lake taken up by the state government with the objective of saving the only and largest fresh water lake in the North Eastern region of the country has completed.

However, further clearance works has been hindered due a controversy arising out of alleged affect to the Keibul Lamjao National Park and people of villages surrounding the park rose up and interfere in the clearance work with the alleged reason.

A team of MLAs and government officials led by IFCD minister N Biren today while inspecting the clearance works also conducted spot verifications at the alleged affect to the park, the only home of Sangai deer.

When the team reached the place where disturbances were given, hundreds of villagers gathered and lodged complaint with the visiting team.

The people of villages, Laphupat Tera, KhordaK, Hiyangkhong, Tera Khunou, Arong, Komlakhong, Konuma etc.

gathered there near the Keibul Lamjao Tower House also submitted a memorandum to the team.

Apart from IFCD minister, N Biren, other team members included local MLA T Mangibabu, MLA and MANITRON chairman, Kh Ratan, officials of the forest and environment, wild life protection and officials of Loktak Development Authority led by its director Ibobi.

Earlier, the team inspected the on going progress works of the phumdi clearance works.

Minister Biren expressed satisfaction on seeing the progressing work.

The minister, MLAs and officials, using binoculars watched the condition of the lake from the tower installed at Keibul Lamjao before hearing to the complaints poured by the villagers with Loktak as their main earning place.

Lodging their complaints, villagers said that they wanted to save the Keibul Lamjao, the only floating park in the world and also the only home to Sangai deer as well as the lake too.

At the same time, people residing in the lake and its surrounding are depending on the lake since early period.

It is not reasonable to prevent them in earning livelihood by the officials of the wild life authorities, they complained.

The Lamphupat village is not within the jurisdiction of national park.

Even after the Keibul Lamjao was declared as national park in 1984 and as protected area, the authority continued to auction the lake area in 1987.They were confused by this policy of the government, villagers lamented.

They further observed that it would not be possible to save the park and deer in it only by the effort of the government, it needs public co-operation too.

Only when government goes hand in hand with the people it would be possible to save the lake and the park, they aware and urged the team to take up steps so that would not affect the villagers and also to save the park and lake.

MLA, Dr Kh Ratan convinced the villagers and said that they will relayed the grievances facing by the villagers to the Chief Minister, O Ibobi after his returned from New Delhi.

CM is currently in Delhi, he informed the villagers.

Minister, Biren said they were coming to conduct a spot verification so that they could brief the Chief Minister after he return from New Delhi.

Government has got the report of controversies in the government plan to save the lake.

Government has also prepared a plan to check floating away of phumdis from the park area.

At the same time, the contract works of clearance of the phumdis is also a time bound works under the contract agreement signed with the implementing agency.

Later, speaking to reporters, LDA director, Ibobi, said that 60 % of the clearance works of the phumdis of Loktak has been completed.

This was out of targeted clearance of phumdis from 39 square kilometer area of the lake and they are targeting to complete by February or March 2012 .

The project for saving the lake was taken up with an estimated project cost of Rs 374 crore and out of this Rs 224 crore is for clearance of phumdis.

The remaining works will be utilized in afroestation and rehabilitation of affected villagers, he added.

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