Imphal: The Manipur government has urged the center to focus on environmental safeguard measures for the ongoing renovation and modernisation of the Loktak Hydropower station/project.
This project was commissioned in 1983 by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) on the Manipur River or Imphal River, with the Loktak Lake forming the headwaters to provide regulated storage for power generation as a multipurpose project with power generation of 105 MW (3×35 MW) for power supply to Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura, and lift irrigation to an area of 23,000 ha (57,000 acres) in the Manipur valley.
This was stated by the Chairman of the Loktak Development Authority (LDA), M Asnikumar Singh, who spearheaded a crucial joint meeting at the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi recently, an official statement said here on Saturday.
The LDA was launched in 2006 to provide for the administration, control, protection, improvement, conservation, and development of the natural environment of Loktak Lake.
The LDA chairman stated that the meeting was a result of multiple letters written by the state government to concerned ministries (including PMO) after the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) proposed a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the modernization of the Loktak Hydro Project without the consultation of LDA & Forest & Wildlife Dept, Manipur, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India.
Acknowledging the intricate link between the Loktak Hydro Electric Project and the local ecosystem, the chairman addressed the challenges that have emerged since the project’s commissioning.
The disruptions to the natural flow of Loktak Lake have not only impacted biodiversity but have also led to the displacement of communities reliant on the lake for their livelihoods.
One of the significant concerns raised by chairman M Asnikumar is the alteration in water flow patterns, adversely affecting the flora and fauna of the Ramsar site, but also agriculture and fisheries in the region.
The project has prompted changes in sedimentation levels, posing challenges to water quality and raising apprehensions about the long-term sustainability of the lake’s ecosystem.
In response to these challenges, the LDA chairman emphasized the need for a comprehensive assessment that considers not only the immediate implications but also the long-term environmental and social repercussions.
He stressed the importance of incorporating sustainable practices into renovation and modernisation plans to mitigate the adverse effects on the ecosystem and the communities dependent on it.