Why is Manipur opposing the extension of National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC)’s Loktak project? For those whose only objective is to exploit whatever resources are available till the state is bled dry, it is only a project in their eyes. Neither those who do not understand or are alien to the concept of Mt Koubru as Father and Loktak as Mother will ever be able to grasp its meaning and relevance to the society and livelihood of its dwellers. Loktak’s umbilical bond with the economy and geo-politics of the state had never been fully explored and understood.
According to archaeological evidence, the present Manipur valley was under water and the earliest human settlements in the hills gradually extended downwards and to the valley over the centuries. A successful response by the Meiteis to the challenge of draining a water-logged valley through a network of small waterways and their consequent transformation from food-gatherers and hunters to sedentary cultivators, eventually gave birth to their rich culture and distinctive way of life in 33 AD. The valley was naturally the core region where a bigger and inclusive Manipuri culture and way of life also took shape later on.
The Loktak project was initially conceived with the idea of generating 105 KW of power, but without even conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment then. The dream of free power for the masses was sold to the people and political leaders took the bait. The Ithai Barrage was constructed in 1983 to elevate the water level of the Loktak Lake for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project. And it let loose hell. It led to the destruction of this unique wetland ecosystem, permanently flooding over 83,000 hectares of farmland and pastures around the wetland, resulting in the loss of livelihoods and severely impacting the wetland’s biodiversity and vanishing of the age-old culture of the people living in and around the lake.
As many as 16 species of indigenous fish are believed to have become extinct due to the blocking of water by the Ithai barrage. It also led to siltation, pollution, eutrophication and disappearance of native vegetation of food and indigenous fish varieties. As many as 16 species of indigenous fish are believed to have become extinct due to the blocking of water by Ithai barrage. After decades of suffering in terms of livelihood and emergence of an uncertain future of the life-span of the lake, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) wants another extension. It is seeking approval of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to lease fresh life to the Loktak Hydroelectric Power Project (Loktak Hydroelectric Multipurpose Project) for another 25 years without even taking into confidence the concerns of the state government and thousands of fisher and farmer families affected by the Loktak hydro project since it was commissioned in 1983.
The power project had never been able to generate power to its stated capacity and most of the time only one turbine out of the three is operating and producing somewhere around 30 KW. And they are selling the power generated to the state again, without even caring to pay water tax for use of water from the lake and not a penny for the use of land and resources. Now again, they want to continue exploiting the lake and people depending on it. It is not only that, the life-span and longevity of the lake as related to the state’s ecosystem is threatened. We must say a big NO.
