Manipur to undertake restoration of Loktak Lake natural cycle

Our Correspondent

Imphal, May 18 (EMN): The Loktak Development Authority (LDA) and National Hydro-Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC) in association with the local people are expected to take up restoration of Loktak Lake’s natural cycle.

An in-depth discussion on the present ecological condition of the Loktak Lake and the state government’s mission to conserve the treasured Loktak Lake from further degradation was held in this regard on Tuesday.

The discussion reached an understanding to regulate the lake’s water level by opening the Ithai barrage during peak monsoon. During this opening period, excess biomass, grass, weeds and pollutants will be flushed out from the lake through Khordak and Ungamel channels, jointly by the NHPC, LDA and local people.

It also discussed devising a feasible mechanism to prevent the flow of small fingerlings through the main channel of Ningthoukhong so as to prevent unnecessary loss of fish during electricity production, it said.

The meeting also discussed constructing a bailey bridge over Khordak River by NHPC at the earliest to remove the existing mini-dam over the said river besides improvement of sanitation for the fishing community in the lake.

There was also an understanding for a joint visit by LDA and NHPC officials to the Loktak Lake area and Ithai barrage so as to assess the ground situation at the earliest. The officials also pledged NHPC’s full support and cooperation in the state government’s Loktak conservation mission, it added.

As a follow up of the meeting, LDA Chairman M Asnikumar on Wednesday conducted an onsite joint inspection with high ranking NHPC officials at the sites of the Loktak project canal and the Ithai barrage wherein an extra sluice gate of the Ithai barrage was opened up (in addition to the earlier three open gates) by the NHPC to aid in the flushing out of weeds, grass, excess biomass and pollutants from the Loktak Lake.