Floating land above the
You
all must have seen the floating pond. If you haven't seen it, you should see
it. Loktak Talab is located in the state of Manipur which is famous all over
the world. Which is also known as 'Floating Lake' for many phumdis or group of
flora. Phumdi floats on the surface of the lake as it decomposes from below.
And people live on top of it.
Loktak,
the largest freshwater lake in North East India is also known as the ‘floating
lake’ for the numerous phumdis or masses of vegetation it
supports. The phumdis float around on the lake’s surface due
to decay from the bottom. Some are so large that the indigenous fishing folk Meiteis have
constructed makeshift floating huts locally known as phumsangs on
them.
Loktak
Lake is famous for its widespread vegetation and for a National Park along
called Keibul Lamjao. This park is seen floating over the lake which is
considered as the only floating National park. Keibul Lamjao is a park known
for a state animal called Sangai that is the Manipuri brown antlered deer. Loktak
Lake is said to be the home and last natural shelter of the endangered state
animal Sangai.
The
phumdis (local name) or swamps in the shape of a circle floating at the surface
of the Loktak Lake provide a beautiful sight of the lake. These swamps seem
like islands with an abundance of vegetation, soil and organic matter at
different stages phases of decomposition. The lake gives shelter to other
Aquatic plants of 250 different species along with hundreds of varieties of
birds and 400 species of animal species such as python, barking deer and
sambar. Bird species like lesser eastern jungle crow, East Himalayan pied
kingfisher, lesser skylark, black kite, northern hill myna and Burmese pied
myna are found in Loktak lake which makes it a tourist spot for birdwatchers.
Loktak Lake is used for
generating hydropower, water supply and irrigation methods. It plays a very
essential role in the economical status of the state of Manipur as the
livelihood of fishermen living around the place depends on the lake. On 1990,
23 March under the Ramsar Convention the Loktak Lake was named as a wetland of
international value by considering its biodiversity and ecological position.
The question of where the Loktak Lake is situated is discussed by EduRev Study
Group by UPSC Students and solved by the largest student community of UPSC.
Owing to its rich biodiversity, the 287 square kilometre lake in the Indo-Burma
biodiversity region had been recognised as a wetland of international
importance in 1990 under the Ramsar Convention. Back in 2011, the Loktak
Development Authority had burnt down more than 200 phumsangs and
evicted the occupants, citing the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006.
The Act prohibits dwellings on the phumdis and the dwellers were
termed occupiers. This caused tremendous hardship to the Meiteis, who
to this day are resisting eviction from phumdis in a bid to uphold
their age-old way of living and fishing.
Around 12 towns and 52 settlements with over 9% of
the total population of Manipur as per Census 2011, are located in and around Loktak. All these
people, directly or indirectly, in one way or another, depend on the lake for
their livelihoods.
The lake is divided into three zones: the northern
zone, central zone and southern zone. The central zone is the main open water
area and does not have too many floating islands. The Keibul Lamjao National
Park (KLNP) covering an area of 40?square kilometres located in the
southern zone is the world’s only floating National Park. It is the last natural
habitat of the highly endangered Manipur brow antlered deer (Rucervus
eldii eldii), locally known as Sangai.
0 Comments