HT Bureau
IMPHAL, Dec 15: At his secretariat on Friday, Manipur chief minister Biren Singh presided over a meeting to go over the current steps being taken to preserve Loktak Lake and revitalise the wetlands that surround it.
The Chief Minister stated in his X post that the state administration is dedicated to preserving Loktak Lake and its surrounding wetlands, taking all necessary steps to ensure the welfare of current and future generations.
According to official reports, the Manipur valley included roughly 500 lakes at the start of the 20th century.
Due to the disappearance of various lakes over time, the numbers have severely decreased.
By the 1950s, there were only about 55 lakes in the state.
At present, there are now only 17 lakes and two oxbow lakes in the state of Manipur, according to a recent survey done by the Remote Sensing Application Centre Government of Manipur.
The largest freshwater lake in Northeast India among those that currently exist is the Loktak.
However, its future is presently unknown.
Waithou, Ngakrapat, Loushipat, Ikop, and other significant lakes in the state are nearing extinction.
The artificial eutrophication and encroachment for farming and fish farming continue to pose a threat to these lakes.
In the valley sections, there are several lakes that are severely damaged, including Kharungpat, Khoidumpat, Pumlen Pat, Sanapat, Yaralpat, and Poiroupat. Even though Porompat and Akampat are no longer lakes, their former existence may still be seen in their skeletal structure.
