A Nagaland University study has sounded an environmental alert for Loktak Lake, one of India’s most iconic freshwater ecosystems and a designated ‘Ramsar Site’ in Manipur. The study was jointly supported by Nagaland University and IIT Delhi.
Researchers found that changes in land use, particularly agriculture, settlements, and shifting cultivation, are directly deteriorating the water quality of rivers feeding into the lake, threatening its biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities. The study was undertaken by Dr Eliza Khwairakpam of Nagaland University.
Loktak Lake is home to 132 plant species and 428 animal species, and supports hydropower, fisheries, transport, and tourism. However, in recent decades, the lake has been listed under the Montreux Record — a global warning list for wetlands undergoing serious ecological damage. Reduced fish populations, rising pollution levels and increased sedimentation have now become growing concerns. A Ramsar site is a wetland designated to be of international importance under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Highlighting the need for such studies, Prof Jagadish K Patnaik, Vice Chancellor, Nagaland University, “This study highlights the pressing environmental challenges arising from agricultural runoff, human settlements, and shifting cultivation, which are directly impacting the river water quality in the region.”
To understand the root cause, Nagaland University researchers conducted field sampling across nine major rivers — Khuga, Western, Nambul, Imphal, Kongba, Iril, Thoubal, Heirok and Sekmai — that drain into Loktak Lake.