The floating biomass, locally known as Phumdis, have created havoc and health hazards to the local people of Thanga Tongbram, Khoirom and other villagers inhabiting at the periphery of Manipur’s Takmu Lake which forms a constituent eco-system of the Loktak Lake, the largest fresh water lake in entire Northeast India.
The villagers have been depending on the lake water for domestic consumption and economic livelihood since time immemorial.
In recent times, the proliferation of phumdis (floating biomass) and wild plants and weeds in the lake has polluted the water causing water-borne diseases afflicting the local populace. The local people particularly womenfolk have apprised the alarming situation to CM Biren Singh recently.
Showing concern to the woes of the people, the chief minister hurriedly convened an emergency meeting of the concerned Minister of Fishery, Chairman of LoktakDevelopment Authority (LDA), administrative Secretaries, Director of Fishery and Project Director of LDA and instructed the officials concerned to immediately start the cleaning work in order to redress grievances of the affected people.
Upon the initiative of the Chief Minister, the cleaning of phumdis has been started since November 28 in convergence mode. The Loktak Development Authority facilitated machinery and the State Fishery Department provided necessary funds. Now, the local people are extremely happy and rejoiced at the positive initiative of the Chief Minister of Manipur for cleaning the phumdis from the lake after a gap of fifteen years as the last phumdi cleaning activity took place in 2007-08.
The initiative will go a long way as removal of phumdis will not only clean up the water but also restore the lake's ecological balance which is essential for sustainable fisheries and economic livelihood of local people.
