Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 23 2010:
A one day workshop on Allocating Water for Human and Ecological Purposes in Loktak Lake was held today at Hotel Imphal.
The workshop was opened by Chief Secretary DS Poonia and Principal Secretary (Power) LP Golmei as chief guest and president respectively.
Addressing the workshop, Wetlands International South Asia Director Ritesh Kumar noted that Loktak lake is the lifeline of the people of Manipur.
Loktak lake is the largest wetland covering 61 per cent of all wetlands in the State.
He said that Loktak lake and the contiguous wetlands are a multi-functional system which provides ecological and economic security to the State of Manipur.
Observing that water basins are more popularly exploited for human use like hydropower and agriculture without considering their implications on ecology, Ritesh Kumar exhorted that exploitation of Manipur river basin for human use needs to be harmonised with ecological purposes.
Harmonious water use plan should form the basis of upstream and downstream operation of hydraulic structures and maintenance of multi-functionality of wetlands, he asserted.