How to use a lake to death

But experts feel the lake is paying a heavy cost for this electricity. ProfH. Tombi Singh, vice-chancellor of Manipur University, says the 10.7 metreIthai Barrage built at the confluence of the Manipur and Khuga rivers hasinundated 80,000 hectares of prime agricultural land. Says Singh, “Now thehigh level of water leads to flooding of adjoining villages during themonsoon. Charel, for instance, is flooded almost throughout the year.”

Salam says the high water level is also playing havoc with floating phumdis,the largest of which is the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which covers anarea of 40.5 sq km and is home to the Sangai. Many of the smaller phumdisare occupied by nearly 2,000 families of fishermen. But the high water isleading to thinning of the phumdi mass, which might cause it to sink.

Earlier, they used to float in the monsoon and settle down on the lake bedin the dry season to suck nutrients from the soil. Now they remain afloatthroughout the year.

The barrage has also led to the crowding of phumdis. Earlier, there was anatural process of elimination — pieces of these vegetation mats used tofloat out of the lake through outlets to the Manipur river.

The lake itself is silting over. Tombi Singh says the Ithai Barrage hasaccelerated the rate of siltation by checking the outflow of silt-ladenwater. “The lake, which used to be at least 5 metres deep, is now only 2metres,” he rues. Shifting cultivation, landslides and road-building in thehilly catchment areas are contributing to the rapid shallowing of the lake.Tombi Singh, a biologist, says more than 20 species of economicallyimportant aquatic plants have disappeared due to ecological changes wroughtby the dam.

Fish have been affected too, says Rajesh Salam. “The dam has led to thedisappearance of over 16 indigenous species which used to migrate from theChindwin-Irrawadi river system in Myanmar to breed here. The lake used toprovide 40 per cent of the catch in the state,” he says. The project hasalso affected 116 bird species, of which 16 are on the endangered list.

Population growth also threatens to choke the lake. At present, the habitatsupports more than 4,000 people living in 1,000 floating huts and another30,000 who live on hillocks in the lake. People use the lake for bathing,washing and dumping household waste. The V-C says this waste is causingeutrophication of the lake, “which is one sign of its slow death.” RajeshSalam points out that at least two-thirds of the lake’s area has beencovered by vegetation due to the influx of waste. Loktak has become therallying point for people from different walks of life. R.K. Anand, a rightslawyer turned politician, says the only way out is to wind up the project.“It is not worth the damage being done to the environment.

Economically, too, we are not benefiting much we get only 35 MW of the 105MW. We do have more electricity than before, but we still experienceload-shedding.”

Besides upsetting the natural balance, the inundation of 80,000 hectareshas displaced thousands. Many are yet to get full compensation because theNHEPC had estimated a loss of only 3,000 hectares. The project, which wasestimated to cost Rs 10 crore, escalated to over Rs 90 crore. SeniorAdvocate Nand Kumar Singh, who represents the displaced families, says hefiled a petition in 1994 seeking an inquiry into the project and a damagereport. A month ago, the court ordered the government to set up a committeeheaded by the Revenue Commissioner.

But the government stands by the project. Minister of State for Power,Govind Das Konthounjam, feels it has achieved its aim. “We were in direneed of electricity at that time and the dam has given it to us. Besidesthis, we earn Rs 120 crore a year selling electricity to Nagaland, Tripuraand Assam. How can you call it a failure?” He shrugs off speciesextinctions as a “a natural process of selection and destruction.”

V. Ramnath, Principal Secretary, Environment, also feels the dam is servingits purpose. But he admits that environment was not a concern duringplanning. He dismisses fears that the lake will dry up. “It’s just ananxiety; people have been saying this since 1824, but the lake isreplenished by water from the mountains and underground sources.”

But the clamour against the project has forced the government to set up theLoktak Development Authority (LDA), an autonomous body for the overallmanagement and development of wetlands. It was formed after the electedrepresentatives of 15 Assembly seats in Imphal, Thoubal and Bishnupur formeda Loktak Flood Control Demand Committee in July 1995.

Now the LDA has started dredging the lake bed and excess phumdis. Its twoCRAWL-cats can clear weeds to a depth of 6 metres. But it has been workingwithin only 50 metres of the bank. The dredged material deposited on thebanks is inviting encroachments.

But LDA officials claim that they have done yeoman service by raising thelake embankments above the flood level at three villages adjoining the lake.But R.K. Ranjan, deputy registrar, Manipur University, and generalsecretary, Manipur Association for Science and Society, says the LDA isusing purely engineering techniques with no environmental content. EchoingAnand, he says the solution lies in decommissioning the project. But thedam’s closure doesn’t seem likely even though the Power Ministry says thatit will be done after the Tipaimukh Dam is built. As Ramnath says wryly:“Government projects, like government departments, are never closed down.They gather a momentum of their own.”