Imphal, February 12 2009: Fishermen of the Loktak Lake Thursday converged to the office of the director of the Loktak Development Authority in Imphal demanding release of compensation for the loss fishing ground and also remove phumdis (floating biomass) piling up near the Thanga village on the shore of the lake.

Thanga, to mention here, is an island in the Loktak Lake which now connected by a land road with population of around 20,000 with fishing as main occupation.

The fishing practice is done here by keeping encircling phums (in the water which fishes are attracted.

They call it as Athaphum (planted floating biomass) .

However, the Loktak Development Authority, in order to save the only fresh water body in the entire north east banned the fishermen the practice and works for removal of the phums has been doing since the last around three years after assure adequate compensation to the fishermen.

The step has been taken up phumdis are the main factor behind the reduction of the depth of the lake.

The LDA authority has already compensated fishermen smaller villages in the island in 2007 but around 5000 fishermen of the largest village Thanga Heisnam Leikai are yet to get the compensation even though, they were banned from making Athaphums, protesting fishermen said.

The fishermen today converged at the office of the LDA in Imphal Babupara and demanded immediate distribution of the compensation.

They also urged the authority to remove the phums piling up near the shore of the village.

They also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, O Ibobi Singh drawing his attention to relief the fishermen whose main living earning has been cut off after banning the making of the Athaphum.

In the memorandum, it was mention that no appropriate action has been taken up by any authority of the government to remove around 500 Athaphums from the lake at Heisnam area and to release the compensation amount of the Athaphums of the fishermen till today.

The fishermen said the Athaphums from their area have already removed without releasing the compensation.

The authority promised of Rs 13,000 per Athaphums, they said.

On the other hand, the way large phumdis coming down from main area of Loktak Lake with strong wind blowing towards Thanga Heinsam are spreading and stranding over the surface of water covering across the length and breath of shore of the lake to Heinsam village and ause not only trouble in water transportation but also contaminated the water, they said.

This may led to the spreading of diseases to the residents, they said.

If the state government do not take up appropriate action to their demand, they will launched other forms of agitation, the protesting fishermen warned.

Comment