Imphal: After a gap of 15 years, the Manipur government has carried out activities to clean the floating biomass (locally known as phumdi) at Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the entire northeastern region.
According to an official report, the floating biomass or phumdis created havoc and health hazards for the local people of Thanga Tongbram, Khoirom, and other villagers inhabiting the periphery of Manipur’s Takmu Lake, which forms a constituent ecosystem of Loktak Lake.
Villagers have been depending on the lake water for domestic consumption and economic livelihood since time immemorial. The last phumdi cleaning activity took place in 2007-08.
In recent times, the proliferation of phumdis and wild plants and weeds in the lake has polluted the water, causing water-borne diseases afflicting the local populace.
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Manipur CM Biren Singh convened an emergency meeting of the concerned Minister of Fishery, Chairman of Loktak Development Authority (LDA), administrative Secretaries, Director of Fishery, and Project Director of LDA and instructed the officials concerned to immediately start the cleaning work to redress the grievances of the affected people, said an official. The cleaning of Loktak’s floating biomass started on November 28, he added.
Meanwhile, the Loktak Development Authority facilitated machinery, and the State Fishery Department provided necessary funds.
The initiative will go a long way as the removal of phumdis will not only clean up the water but also restore the lake’s ecological balance, essential for sustainable fisheries and the economic livelihood of local people, it added.
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