Dark sides of Loktak Project come to light
Source: The Sangai Express / Ng Liklaileima Arambam

Imphal, August 06 2010: "Neither are there fields nor cattle.

All our paddy fields have been rendered useless by Loktak Project.

How long should we struggle for a square meal a day when we have our own lands?" These are the words of Soiraisam Kola Devi, one of the many people cursed by Loktak Project.

Beating the sweltering heat, with a torn umbrella over her head and an oar in her hand, Kola was being driven towards Loktak lake in her search for some fish which would keep her kitchen fire burning.

Though Kola is 60 years old, she looks 10 years older because of the toil and grind throughout the year.

"We would have been quite happy had Loktak Project not submerged our paddy fields.

If that is the case, we would not be buying rice now.

With price of rice escalating to an all time-high, we cannot help cursing Loktak Project", Kola said.

Loktak Project which has submerged many cultivable land, jeopardising the lives of many

Kola, a resident of Toubul, a village adjoining Loktak lake, has been fishing at Loktak every day without fail to earn the family's livelihood.

"Previous years were not so miserable as the current year.

But this time, our families are literally surviving on the barest of limits.

The rising prices of rice and other essential commodities have multiplied our woes", Kola disclosed.

Backwater from Loktak Project has submerged seven Sangams of paddy fields belonging to Kola's family.

However, the family has not yet received any compensation in any form.

Uprooted from their only source of livelihood, the family has been struggling hard just to ensure that both ends are met.

Since the day, their paddy fields were submerged, the family has been living on rice bought from the shops.

This is the story of not only Kola and her family.

There are hundreds of other families who plunged into gloom by Loktak Project rather than bringing any light of development.

Altogether 45,000 hectares of agricultural land belonging to peasant families of Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal districts were submerged by Loktak Project.

As many as 12,000 pattadars settled around Loktak lake were affected by the hydro-electric project.

Construction work of Loktak Project started in 1971 under the Ministry of Irrigation and Power.

After six years, it was handed over to the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC).

The project was commissioned in 1983 .

With the objective of generating 105 MW power, natural drainage system of Loktak Lake was blocked by building Ithai Barrage so as to ensure that abundant water is available at the lake for generating power.

Consequent upon blocking the natural outlet of the lake by Ithai Barrage, water level of the lake rose sharply resulting in extensive perennial inundation of large areas of homesteads and agricultural lands located in the vicinity of Loktak lake.

Even though it is almost 30 years since the Loktak Project was commissioned, the question of compensation is still mired with disputes and controversies.

Many genuine pattadars affected by the project have not be compensated till date.

Incidentally, during the recently concluded Assembly session, the State Government responding to a query raised by MLA Ningthoujam Mangi, stated that a case of 22 pattadars affected by the project was pending in Court.

Once the Court issued a ruling, the State Government would work to provide due relief to the affected people in consultation with NHPC, the Government assured.

One Thoubam Gyaneshore (58) of Toubul Mayai Leikai Phura Makhong, talking to The Sangai Express, rued, "before the establishment of Loktak Project, we used to harvest at least 200 bags of rice annually".

"At those time, we knew no hardship.

But now, we have been living on rice purchased from shops throughout the year.

Words just cannot express the hardships we faced in bringing up our nine children with rice purchased from shops.

We are living for we cannot die", Gyaneshore said.

For Gyaneshore, it was three hectares of paddy fields that was submerged by Loktak Project.

Now only hectares is alive for the while family where they are doing a farm.

As for the paddy fields lost to Loktak project, no sorts of compensation have been received till date.

Keisham Brajamani (70), another victim of Loktak Project from Toubul Mayai Leikai, said that following inundation of 1.5 hectare of paddy fields belonging to his family, the family has been cultivating paddy fields belonging to others for which he has to give 20 bags of rice every year.

Strangely, Brajamani has been paying agricultural land tax till today for the paddy fields submerged by Loktak Project.

On being enquired about the tax, Brajamani said that if stopped paying tax, the land would be classified as khasland.

He was also confident that the water level of Loktak would fall one day and the submerged lands would be fit for cultivation.

Almost 90 per cent of the people of Toubul are peasants.

Before the birth of Loktak Project, none of the families of the village had to worry about staple food.

But now, majority of the families have been living on rice purchased from shops.

"We have been strangled by Loktak Project.

Those golden days before the advent of Loktak Project is now only a history", lamented Gyaneshore summing up the woes gifted by the hydro electric project to Toubul village.