Protest meet held on decommission of Ithai barrage and Loktak project

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 16

Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights (COHR), Phulindro Konsam charged that the endangered animal Sangai and floating hut of Loktak lake were displayed in Sangai festival as replica but the government and LDA are destroying the eco-system of Loktak.

Addressing a protest meet held yesterday at Phoubakchao Awang leikai, Sekmaijin community hall under the topic “Decommission Ithai barrage of 105 MW Loktak project” Phulindro said “keeping replica of Sangai and its habitat during Sangai festival is like a big joke”.

He said government claimed Sangai deer and Loktak lake as natural heritage but in reallity Loktak Development Authority (LDA) and government are destroying its eco-system.

On April 10, 2008 under Operation Summer Storm joint operation by the state police and 57 Mountain Division bombarded at Keibul Lamjao national park in the name of flushing insurgents.

During the operation the natural habitat of Sangai was affected and villagers and fishermen came on streets. Instead of chasing the insurgents the forces bombarded and destroyed the environment of the lake, he charged.

He said in the name of development state along with LDA burned down the huts on phumdis. The homeless people were scattered at different places of Ningthoukhong, Kwakeithel and others. These acts are crime against humanity and it was not for the welfare of the people but only to get profit from Loktak project, Phulindro added.

Before the commission of Ithai barrage and Loktak project many migratory birds and fish were found in Loktak. Since the commissioning of the barrage and Loktak project the water of Loktak becomes almost stagnant. The phumdis which are shuppoed to flow down Manipur river remain still at the lake.

Because of this the phumdis got rotten which contaminates the water. Migratory fish and birds stop feeding at the lake due to the contamination, Phulindro asserted.

 “The artificial flood which is occurring frequently in the state can be stop if Ithai barrage is removed,” Phulindro said.

Member of North East Youth Dialogue Forum, U. Jenision spoke on the impact of Ithai barrage and Loktak project and oil exploration in the state by various multi-national companies.

Central government is also planning to extract natural resources from the state without concerning the people of the state. If the process of extracting natural resources has started, the state might be in doom, he added.

The meet resolved that the government must decommission Ithai barrage and Loktak project immediately, compensate the affected people and organise rehabilitation programme. It also urged the Assembly to discuss these issues.

As a part of the meet, people of the area marched rally by chanting slogans “go back NHPC”, “decommission Ithai barrage and Loktak project immediately” in Sekmaijin, Phoubakchao area.