Fishermen contradict LDA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 24 2015 : Fishermen who have been staying in huts built on phumdis of Loktak Lake have contradicted the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) after launching a verbal attack against a media team due to communication gap.

At the initiative of AMWJU, a team of media persons visited Loktak Lake today.

On reaching Langolsabi which has been already declared as a core zone of the lake, the media team was targeted with a flurry of verbal assaults.

Later, they clarified that they adopted the aggressive posture thinking that the media persons were officials of LDA.

One Oinam Nabachandra (54) who has been staying on a floating hut at Langolsabi told the media persons that the State Government has been wantonly violating rights of fishing families through LDA.

It is ridiculous that the Loktak Lake Protection Act permits fishing at Langolsabi and other areas declared as core zone but use of traps and nets is prohibited.

LDA started burning down floating huts from November 15, 2011 thereby challenging the right to life of many fishing families.

"At the same time, LDA has been consistently projecting the fishing families as encroachers", Nabachandra said.

All fishermen and their families suffered to such an extreme degree that they felt panicky every time they hear the sound of motorboats.

Following a petition filed at Court, both fishermen and LDA were directed to maintain status quo.

It was because of this Court directive that some huts still survive today.

Rs 40,000 given as compensation for destroying floating huts as the amount is too meagre to start a new live or explore a new source of livelihood, he continued.

All Loktak Lake Area Fishermen Union joint secretary Heisnam Arunkumar maintained that Loktak lake is known for its phumdis and huts built on them.

Preservation of phumdis was stressed when UNESCO declared the lake as a world heritage site.

It would be worthwhile if LDA examines whether it is fishermen who are upsetting the ecology of the lake or the odd 30 rivers including Nambul which drain into the lake which are destroying the lake.

Impacts of Ithai Barrage should also be taken into account.

He said that the union has been demanding amendment of the Loktak Lake Protection Act so that it can protect the Loktak Lake and at the same time does not forfeit the right to life of fishing families.

On the other hand, LDA Project Director L Bhagaton said that the Loktak Lake pruning project started since 2010 at the cost of Rs 374 crore.

The project is divided into five components and removal of phumdis is a key component.

For this component, an amount of Rs 224 crore was set aside.

Now the work of removing phumdis has been completed by 98 per cent.

The project has another component of constructing a ring bandh which can promote eco-tourism.

Even as the Court issued a directive to maintain status quo, the number of floating huts has increased to around 300 from just 60, Bhagaton said.

Most of the fishermen have their houses ashore and they have been using the floating huts as transit camps.

There is no prohibition on fishing although use of phumdis, huts and boulders for fishing purpose is prohibited, he said.

Admitting that rivers which drain into Loktak lake have been polluting the lake, the Project Director maintained that the gates of Ithai Barrage were opened from time to time.

He then appealed to all the people, particularly those inhabiting in and around the lake to cooperate with the Government in preserving the lake.

Comment