Despite being vital ecological lifelines, Loktak Lake and Lamphelpat remain without legal protection, as no wetlands in Manipur have been officially notified under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
The fact was raised by MP Dr. Akoijam Bimol during a press meet in Imphal, where he warned that these water bodies are being systematically degraded in the name of development and tourism, with no safeguards in place to prevent their destruction.
The Wetland Rules, introduced by the Modi government in 2017, were meant to regulate and protect water bodies from unsustainable activities.
However, in Manipur, not a single water body has been brought under its purview. “So, officially, there is no wetland in Manipur,” MP Bimol said.
“Loktak, which is crucial for a civilisation and considered the navel of Manipur, will die if we go on like this.”
He also strongly criticised the ongoing rejuvenation project at Lamphelpat in Imphal West, undertaken during the tenure of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
“It will make a pond out of a lake. It will be destroyed,” he said, adding that the project risks altering the wetland’s natural ecosystem under the guise of beautification and urban expansion.
