Since 15th November 2011, the government of Manipur has burnt down around eight hundred (800) floating huts of the fishermen in the name of cleansing the phumdis-(floating vegetation mass)- the signature of Loktak Lake.
By- Bhavan Meitei
Democracy, they said, is for the
people. However, the conduct of those ‘chosen’ by the process of democracy is
hardly democratic. The recent incidents in which the government of Manipur
burnt down around 800 huts and displaced around 5,000 inhabitants truly
exemplifies the above situation. The fishermen’s communities whose lives are
sustained by the lake have been left in dire straits. Against the backdrop of
this unfortunate development and the reports regarding the burning down of
equipment for fishing, the problem is going to worsen and will affect the lives
of these fishermen for a long time to come.
The genesis of the problem goes back
at least 20 years. When the hydel project was commissioned in 1984, it
submerged the villages in and around the lake inundating nearly 80,000 hectares
including prime agricultural land. The project led to an increase in the number
of floating huts due to increase in water level and the loss of fertile land.
These huts are used by the fishing communities who are dependent on the lake
for their livelihood.
Adding insult to injury is the Loktak
Protection Act, 2006 enacted by the government of Manipur that targets the
fishing communities which depend on the wetlands for survival.
Rajen Oinam, the Secretary General of
All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union, told North-East Today that the Act has
caused enormous suffering to the fishing communities living in and around
Loktak Lake due to the restrictions imposed on fishing. Section II of the Act
defines the fishermen as Occupiers while Clause 3(4) declares the lake as
protective zones and fishing is banned.
Since 15th November,
2011, the Manipur government has burnt down homes of fishermen on Loktak Lake
by offering them just Rs 40,000 as one-time compensation to leave their
dwellings. The notice for eviction was published in newspaper and not even
served to them. And the eviction took place prior to the date announced by the
government. However, most of the villagers rejected this payment as the amount
was too meagre and could hardly compensate for their livelihood and means of
survival.
Moreover, many families were included
in the survey but not in the approved list for compensation. And some families
who were not in the survey were included in the approval list. As per reports,
1147 families were on the approved list and 519 families claimed compensation.
Rajen who is spearheading the agitation against the demolition drive has
questioned the State government whether the amount offered will be enough to
compensate for the loss.
He also pointed out that there was no
provision for eviction in the said Act.
On 19th December 2011, a group of
eleven women who were protesting against the forced evictions from Loktak Lake
and demanding repeal of the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006 were
injured. It is alleged that the state security forces charged at the women with
batons during a protest at the Thanga Ithing Village in Chingjin in the
Bishenpur District. The police also fired tear gas shells and about 200 rounds
of ammo in an attempt to disperse the protesting women. There are reports that
no woman policemen were involved in the crackdown on the protesters which
mainly comprised women and elderly people.
The lake is considered to be an important
symbol in the state due to its importance in the socio-economic and cultural
life of the people. From the biodiversity point of view, the lake is home to
233 species of aquatic macrophytes of emergent, submerged, free-floating and
rooted floating leaf types and different variety of vegetables.
The phumdies act as a catalyst to
cleanse the water. The impact of Ithai Barrage, which led to devastation of
Loktak wetlands ecosystem, loss of indigenous plant and fauna species,
disturbance of the wetlands natural balance and cleansing system leading to
pollutions, increasing siltation from the rivers etc have not been considered,
and in fact, completely ignored. Oinam Ningthemba, the Executive Member of the
All Loktak Lake Fishermen Union, said the Loktak lake project has led to
extinction of endemic flora and fauna species from the lake. On a daily basis
more than 71 metric tonnes of polluted water is deposited in the lake and the
phumdies assist in controlling the polluted water. And if the phumdies are removed
from the lake, then the water of the lake will be severely polluted and we
won’t even be able to touch our largest freshwater lake of northeast after 10
years.
Ironically, the lake was designated
as a Wetland of International Importance under Ramsar Convention in 1990.
However, the government failed to ensure participation of communities
depending on Loktak wetlands flagrant violation of Ramsar convention. A vital
aspect of this division is the ban on building huts or houses on phumdis inside
the lake, planting athaphum, or engaging in athaphum-fishing in the core area,
which will adversely affect thousands of people living in phumdis huts, as well
as others dependent on Loktak Lake especially under Article 19 and 20 of the
Act, which divides the Lake into two zones – a core zone comprising 70.30 sq
km, which is a ‘no development zone’, or ‘totally protected zone’, and a buffer
zone of other areas of the lake excluding the core zone. The arsoning process
and targeting the indigenous people depending on the Loktak Wetlands for
survival is a clear cut violation and undermining of the provisions of the
Ramsar Conventions, in particular resolutions VII. 8 of Ramsar Convention’s
Conference of contracting parties held in May 1999 at Costa Rica and Resolution
VIII. 19 held in Spain in November 2002, which provides guidelines for
establishing and strengthening local communities and indigenous peoples
participation and to consider the cultural values of wetlands in the management
of wetlands.
The life of the people depending on
the lake and the lake itself is at the crossroads. Today the lake is a symbol
of all the ills which have come to identify the State. The controversy
surrounding awarding of the Loktak cleaning project to a ghost firm is still
very fresh in the minds of the Loktak watchers. Perhaps the lake will go the
Manipur way- dented and wasted.
PS: This article was published in the January Issue of Northeast Today Magazine. The original link is: http://www.northeasttoday.in/our-states/manipur/in-dire-straits/
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