Manipur fishing community slams NHPC over Loktak project extension

IMPHAL — The fishing community in Manipur’s Loktak Lake has condemned the arbitrary move of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited’s (NHPC) to seek the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s approval to lease fresh life to the Loktak Hydroelectric Power Project (LHPP) for another 25 years.

This was done, allegedly, without taking into confidence the concerned stakeholders, including thousands of fishers and farmers affected by the project since its commissioning in 1983.

The LHPP has a generating capacity of 105 megawatts.

In a press release on Saturday, the All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers’ Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) questioned the NHPC’s move to not inform the Loktak Development Authority (LDA), the state government, and the Loktak fishing community – the primary stakeholders – for placing before the central authority the proposal to further the lifespan of the LHPP.

It claimed that this was done without addressing four decades of ecological and human disasters due to the functioning of the Ithai barrage, which has been the bone of contention between the project managers and the people of Manipur for nearly 40 years now.

The ALLAFUM release, signed by its secretary, Oinam Rajen, stated that the NHPC must clarify its stand to the people of Manipur on how it proposes to rehabilitate and resettle the thousands of people impacted by the project.

Moreover, it said, the NHPC must explain how it proposes to bring back the near natural status of the freshwater lake, which is now ‘ageing rapidly’ due to human-led engineering intervention.

The release further stated that unless NHPC clarifies on these issues, it cannot go ahead with its plans to lease new life to the Loktak hydro project. It mentioned that the people of Manipur have suffered extensively because of this project and the lives of the lake dependent communities cannot be further exploited by the project for another two decades and more.

Informing that the Loktak fishing community is suffering acutely from the declining fish population in the lake directly impacted by the Ithai barrage of the Loktak hydro project, the release said Loktak is suffering from siltation, pollution, and eutrophication.

ALLAFUM called upon the Manipur government to redress the grievances of the affected people before any move to further the Loktak hydro project is considered. The government should also not allow NHPC to freely extend the project’s lifespan without taking the people’s concerns into confidence.