Manipur’s Loktak Lake - the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India - is an internationally important, Ramsar designated, freshwater wetland system in the state of Manipur, India. Famously known for its circular floating swamps (called phumdi in the local language) - a collection of heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition. Resembling miniature islands, these phumdis are found in various forms, floating on the lake.
Each winter season, Manipur witnesses a spectacular gathering of migratory birds around Loktak Lake. Some of these birds come to Loktak from Europe, Central Asia, Tibet, Siberia and Yunnan province of China - flying 3,200 to 4,800 kilometers over the Himalayan ranges.
At least 4,000 fisherfolk reside in and around the lake. Covering an area of 289 square kilometers, which since the Loktak Development Authority had revised to 236 sq.km. The lake is a lifeline for several lakh people. It serves as a source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply in the region, other than being the source of income for many fishermen who largely depend on it. Children of the fishermen can even be seen playing and running around on phumdis.
The socio-economic values of the lake include fisheries, control of floods, supply of drinking water, production of aquatic organisms of food and of commercial importance, and the many uses of phumdi. More than 100,000 people, in and around the lake, depend for their livelihood to a great extent on the lake fishery, which is now a mix of capture and culture systems. The lake yields about 1,500 tonnes of fish per year.
As we face the unprecedented crisis of species loss, 2020 is an important year to step up action to conserve species, protect ecosystems and make meaningful progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals.
