Conservation strategies for LOKTAK lake ecosystem

LOKTAK lake Largest freshwater lake in Northeast India.
Situated in Moirang town of Bishnupur District in the state of Manipur, India. Considering its ecological status and biodiversity values the lake was designated as a Ramsar site on 23rd March 1990, with the reference number 463. It is listed under the Montreux Record on 16th June 1993 which is a record of Ramsar sites ‘where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur by human activities and pollution.

1. Conservation strategies for Loktak Lake ecosystem Swagatika Sahoo PG Scholar

2. T he Loktak Lake 2 Largest freshwater lake in Northeast India. Situated in Moirang town of Bishnupur District in the state of Manipur, India. Considering its ecological status and biodiversity values the lake was designated as Ramsar site on 23rd March 1990, with the reference number 463 . Listed under the Montreux Record on 16th June 1993 which which is a record of Ramsar sites ‘ where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur’ by human activities and pollution. India map showing loktak lake

3. Loktak (LOK = stream + TAK = the end) is the journey end of several streams and rivers. It is also a pulsating lake, which is about 500 sq. kms during rainy season and 250 sq. kms during winter, and is proud to be the largest fresh water lake in the northeastern region of India. 3

4. 4 The Loktak lake is the only floating lake in the world Consists of a number of phumdis . Phumdis are a series of floating islands , They cover a substantial part of the lake area and are heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter, in different stages of decay and has been thickened into a solid form. The largest phumdi covering an area of 40 km2 houses the world’s largest floating park, the Keibul Lamjao National Park. The park treasures the endemic & endangered Eld’s deer ( Rucervus eldii eldii ), locally called Sangai in Meitei language. Sangai deer

5. 5 The lake is divided into 3 zones. Northern zone Central zone Southern zone Awang laisoi pat to laphu pat Nambol river to phabakchao Covers keibul lamjao national park Covers an area of 26,600 hectares. Its catchment area is 980 sq km. Out of which 430 sq km under paddy cultivation,150 sq km under habitation,400sqkm under forest cover. The area has shrunken from 491sq km in 1971 to 236.21 sqkm as of now.

6. S ocio economic importance of Loktak lake About 12 Lakhs people of Manipur are directly or indirectly benefited from this lake. Food, agriculture, irrigation, pisciculture, energy, aesthetic and recreational values are exploited by the people since time immemorial. Thus, the exploitation of the various renewable and nonrenewable resources decides the socio-economic condition of the state. During the 1979 Manipur famine, the fruits of Trapa bispinosa/Trapa natans ( Heikak ) and Euryale ferox ( Thangjing ) were the only sources of livelihood for thousands of people. 6 Trapa bispinosa Trapa natans Euryale ferox Fishing in Loktak Lake

7. Biodiversity of Loktak lake 7 Aquatic Flora (52) Phytoplankton (32) Zooplankton (46) Invertebrates (165) Annelida (16) Arthropoda (149) Mollusca 5. Vertebrates Pisces (61) Amphibia (6) Reptilia (32) Aves (117) Mammalia (31)

8. I mpact of human activities in Loktak lake

9. 1 .Water resources development 9 Several water resources development projects have been built in the Manipur River basin to meet growing demands for irrigation. 7 river valley projects have been completed. The most discussed project is the Loktak Multipurpose Project , under which Ithai barrage has been constructed which provides  hydropower , irrigation and water supply benefits but has attracted adverse criticism for the drastic alteration caused by the project to the  hydrological   regime  of the Loktak Lake and associated  wetlands. The construction of Ithai barrage for maintaining constant high water level for electricity generation has resulted in the change of hydrological regimes which severely affecting the ecological processes. T he high water level in Ithai barrage resulted in permanent inundation of agricultural lands and grazing fields displacement of people from flooded area decline in the diversity of avifauna and loss of fish population including the migratory fish coming from Irrawaddy river (Myanmar) for breeding in the lake.

10. 10 Fig. Ithai barrage

11. 2 . Deposition of waste products 11 The waste products from urban sewage brought down by the different rivers which discharge through the lake have resulted in the deterioration of the water and affect the wetland ecosystem. The Nambul river which flows down through the heart of the Imphal city, the capital of Manipur brought down the solid wastes in the form of garbage’s, pesticides, insecticides, polythene bags, and other nonbiodegradable waste which result in the increasing the pollution and contamination of the lake water. " Thongjaorok " or Bishnupur River on the other hand brought its entire sediments load, caused due to mass deforestation in the upper part of the hilly region of this river.

12. 3. Soil erosion at Thanga Island Deforestation and shifting cultivation in the catchment areas have accelerated the process of  soil erosion resulting in the lake’s shrinkage due to siltation . The annual silt flow into the lake is estimated to be 336,350 tons. Thanga Island was affected by both natural and anthropogenic actions. The wind, wave, rainfall and weathering of the rocks are the natural causes and along with many human activities such as road building, houses, playgrounds, colleges, clubs, theaters, etc. which further aggravated this phenomenon. A circular road created by cutting trees around this hill island has increased the erosional possibilities along with creating a tasteless landscape. 12 Fig. Aerial view of loktak lake with thanga island

13. 4. Floating huts or Phumshang 13 Floating huts , also known as " Phumshang ," are the traditional way of life and the unique characteristic of Loktak Lake created by local fishermen which also affect the environment of the lake. The rise of fisherman settlements on the lake contributes to depletion of phumdis and pollution due to domestic waste. Now the number of huts is estimated to be around 2000 . These huts are constructed by using many heavy rocks, plastic ropes, woods, bamboos, iron rods, zinc plates, etc., and for catching fish, numerous pesticides and insecticides are also used, thus, leading to the degradation of the environment.

14. 5. Extinction/Loss of indigenous species During the '80s the Government of Manipur had introduced many species of fishes, amphibians, insects and plants into the Loktak Lake without any concerns about the future consequences of the introduction of new and alien species. Among these are the grass carp, silver carps ; insects like Weevil species ( Neochetina eichhornia and Neochetina bruchi ), etc. Indigenous species of fishes, plants and animals are rarely seen now. Earlier Loktak Lake was a playground for the local fishes like Channa punctatus ( Ngamu ), Anabus testudinius ( Ukabi ), Anguilla ( Ngaril ) and other locally known fishes such as Pangba , Tharak , Ngashap , etc. These fishes are now replaced by grass carp and silver carps. Fish production from Loktak lake dropped drastically since the 1950s and numerous native fish species have either gone extinct or have become endangered. Traditional fishing techniques don’t give enough yield. So, people are using exploitative and illegal fishing techniques such as poisoning and LED illumination. 14

15. 6.Water pollution Detergents, soaps and other phosphates and nitrates containing chemicals, which are brought down by the rivers to this lake, cause ‘ eutrophication ’ of the lake. In this process algal blooms started and compete with other aquatic plants for light and nutrients . These blooms release toxic chemicals killing aquatic plants, animals, and birds and deplete oxygen; thus water begins to stink. As the water body is lentic, the decomposed organic matters remain in the lake for a very longtime. Use of chemical weedicides, rapid accumulation of weeds near the lake shores, use of pesticides and insecticides, chemical fertilizers, and other nonbiodegradable substances are all the factors for causing the lake water to be polluted . 15 Plastic Pollution and algalbloom in loktak lake

16. 7.. Shallowing of the lake 16 Siltation Approximately 336,325 tons of silt is deposited per year in this lake. The major causes of siltation can be attributed to the Jhum cultivations as in the catchment area, widespread deforestation and unscientific land cultivation is done (Laishram and Mithra, 2014). Fig. cutting of forests for jhum cultivation by local communities

17. 8. Water scarcity and energy crisis 17 Low Power Generation Due to siltation , weed infestation , and proliferation of Phumdis , the decline in water holding capacity has limited the Lake's power generation capacity. Fig. manual cleaning of Eichhornia crassipes

18. 9. Impacts on Migratory birds 18 Many migratory birds arrive here every year from different parts of the world, especially from places like Siberia. Some of the birds regular visitors in Loktak Lake are Siberian cranes, wild ducks, herons, pink headed ducks, etc. However, the number of migratory birds is gradually decreasing owing to the climate change , excessive hunting, human overpopulation, deforestation, degradation of habitats and use of pesticides and insecticides in agricultural practices. Wildlife officials say night fishing with LEDs is a fairly new phenomenon and the ‘light pollution’ has affected the nesting, breeding and foraging habits of the resident water birds besides keeping the migratory birds away.

19. 10. Impacts on socio-economy of the state Resources such as fisheries, agriculture, irrigation, biological resources, tourism, hydropower projects, etc., are readily utilizable from this lake. Presently, it is found that resource utilization is minimal whereas resource depletion is very high . Thus it brings about the concept of the "tragedy of common". The tragedy of common or the major economic crisis are brought about by the submerged cultivable lands , submerged grazing fields of cattle , poor harvesting of fishes , failure of the power supplies due to lesser water volume, unemployment etc. One best example of the economic crisis is the submerged grazing grounds, which leads to reduction in the cattle population. To cope with the problems, new management strategies should be taken up by monitoring and evaluating the various potential impacts and drawing attention to the public for participation in restoring this lake. 19

20. Conservation Strategies and initiatives

21. Loktak Development Authority (LDA) 21 The Government of Manipur passed a new legislation on 5th April, 2006 titled as ‘ The Manipur Loktak (Protection) Act, 2006 ’, whereby the State sought to control and administer the management of Loktak Lake, primarily with the objective of halting the process of degradation of the lake’s ecosystem and to rejuvenate its health . The Act empowers the State, represented by the Loktak Development Authority (LDA), to act for the protection, preservation and conservation of the lake. The State had sought funds from the Central Government to a tune of Rs.378 crore under the Special Plan Assistance to clear most of the floating biomass crowding the lake’s water surface within a time span of three years beginning January 2010. LDA had also been working on conservation of micro-watersheds on the lake’s western catchment to mitigate soil erosion and halt the process of deposition of massive volume of silt load into the lake each year.

22. 22 Check dam arresting flow of silt from watershed Activities taken up by loktak development authority (LDA)

23. 23 The  Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Laboratory  (IBSD), Imphal has established India's first floating laboratory at Loktak Lake to monitor the ecosystem of the lake as well as the water quality. It is a joint venture of  Loktak Development Authority (LDA) and Bioresources and Sustainable Laboratory Institute (IBSD);  and about 15 lakhs spent in setting up this floating laboratory. This floating laboratory will check the oxygen and the pH level of the lake and also will record changes in temperature, acidity, conductivity and dissolved oxygen in the 300 sq. km of the lake. So that the  Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Laboratory  (IBSD) can take immediate steps to check water pollution and restore it. Fig. floating laboratory in loktak lake

24. Community initiatives 24 There have been few initiatives at the community level, too, towards the conservation of the lake. One such initiative was launched by the Manipur Nature Society in association with villagers of Tokpa Kabui village which is located on the eastern face of the western catchment of the lake. The Society worked in around 500 hectares of forest lands belonging to the village community, with a projected total area of 1000 hectares in later times. The emphasis was on the natural and aided regeneration of forest to check loss of top soil and revitalize the micro-watersheds , ensure healthy growth of the vegetation cover and to induce the return of the wildlife in the area. Micro vegetative check dams were constructed along the course of the hill streams, and few water bodies were created to slow down the process of silt load deposition downhill. These water bodies also provided for fishery for the village.

25. 25 In 2011, fishers living in Champu Khangpok floating village within the Loktak Lake formed an association styled as All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) to address several issues pending with the lake. The primary focus was on addressing livelihoods issues with specific concerns on the current status of the lake, namely, the degrading ecosystem leading to decline in fish and vegetation population that threaten their livelihoods and means of sustenance . In tune with this objective, the fishers took the help of concerned individuals and civil society organizations based in Imphal and Bishnupur to take up awareness campaigns and field related activities to address these issues. Since 2012 onwards, ALLAFUM has been continuously organizing observations of various events to raise awareness amongst the fishers’ population living within and in the peripheral areas of the lake. Some of these events are the World Wetlands Day, World Water Day, International Rivers Day, International Day for Ecological Diversity, and World Environmental Day.

26. 26 ALLAFUM recently declared a portion of Birahari Pat within the lake as protected “Fish Sanctuary” within the ambit of the Union with the primary objective of ( i ) banning of catching fish fingerlings during spawning season, (ii) to maintain closed season during May, June, July, (iii) and to control excessive or uncontrolled fishing of fingerlings and immature fish. The other objective of declaring the fish sanctuary is also to control and administer a portion of the lake within their control to raise awareness and to protect the migratory water birds during the winter months – starting from October up to February. ALLAFUM also started an initiative to sow seeds of aquatic plants like water chestnut which they consume as food and for sale in local markets. Many varieties of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants, that are consumed as food and are of economic value, have been gradually disappearing from the lake during these past few decades as direct fallout of the impact of Ithai Barrage. ALLAFUM seeks to re-introduce the plants for achieving multiple benefits, including for food, for earning, and for revitalizing the ecosystem of the lake. ALLAFUM seeks to address is the issue of rampant encroachments in the lake’s peripheral areas. ALLAFUM has drawn the attention of the State Government and other concerned departments to have a policy that would restrict the encroachments and other physical modifications in the lake area including construction of causeways across the water body.

27. 27 Suggested Recommendations for Conservation Regular monitoring of lake Real time monitoring by spatial technology Prevent people encroachment by making buffer zone Proper sustainable fishing approaches Stock assessment need to be studied with participation of govt. officials and local stakeholders which will help in preventing over exploitation and prevent fishing during breeding season . Study on Pollutant Identification of emerging pollution will help in identification of the source of compound and also to reduce the use of it to prevent the level of biomagnification. Identification & Conservation of flora and fauna Research and development Management of Phumdis The need of the hour is identifying the different species and prepare conservation strategies on priority basis The role of various stakeholders is very important Phumdis are good source of high quality compost which can improve the economic condition of the people and also preventing the proliferation. This approach can provide employment to the people and reduce human pressure for resources from the lake. The development of spatial database is very necessary for the Loktak for real time monitoring using remote sensing and GIS technology.

28. References www.Wikipedia.org Kangabam et al. » Ecology, disturbance and restoration of Loktak Lake in Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot- An overview » NeBIO 6(2): 9-15 How the inland waterways project is posing existential threat to fishing community in Manipur's Loktak Lake (ifp.co.in) Loktak Lake – Kalpavriksh Community participation in conservation of Loktak Lake of Manipur - Vikalp Sangam Loktak IN THIS ISSUE NEWSLETTER February 2011, Volume VI Google images 28

29. 29 Thanks!