News: A study has highlighted environmental concerns regarding Manipur’s Loktak Lake, noting that alterations in land use are degrading the water quality of the rivers that flow into the lake.
About Loktak Lake
- Location: It is located in the Bishnupur district of Manipur.
- It is India’s only floating lake and Northeast India’s largest freshwater lake.
- Area: It stretches to an area of about 287 square kilometers.
- It is famous for its clear, glassy water and its floating islands called phumdis.
- A phumdi is made up of plants, soil, and other natural materials that float on the water.
- Because of these phumdis, Loktak Lake is also known as the “Floating Lake.”
- It is home to the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world, and a home to the critically endangered Sangai deer.
- Rivers: Nine rivers namely Khuga, Thongjaorok, Awang Khujairok, Nambol, Nambul, Imphal, Kongba, Iril, and Thoubal drain in this lake.
- Designated as: It was designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990 and also features under the Montreux Record in 1993.
- Flora and fauna: It has around 233 aquatic Plants, 57 water bird species, 14 wetland-associated species, and 28 migratory waterfowl. It has also 425 animal species, including Sangai (brow-antlered deer), Sambhar, Barking deer and Indian python.
- Environmental Challenges: Despite its ecological significance, the Lake is confronting several escalating environmental threats such as Developmental Impacts, Catchment Degradation and Water Pollution.
