With peace eluding in the strife-torn Manipur, the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has deferred the proposal to divert 82.54 hectares of forest land to build a golf course (42.14 ha) and a resort (40.40 ha) within the eco-sensitive zone of the Keibul Lamjao National Park and Khongjaingamba Ching Sanctuary for the proposed Loktak Lake eco-tourism project of the State Government.
The NBWL members noted that the meeting to discuss the proposed with the officials from the State Government was to be held in Manipur could not be conducted ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’.
Hence keeping in view such a situation, the Committee decided to defer the proposal till the meeting is convened in Manipur to discuss the proposal with officials of the State Forest Department, Loktak Development Authority and other stakeholders. This decision was taken at a NBWL meeting held on August 7.
Loktak, one of the two largest freshwater lakes in Southeast Asia is not only the natural habitat of rare Sangai deer but also the lifeline of people of the state. The people of Manipur referring Loktak to as Ema (mother) itself indicated how much the freshwater lake is important. It plays an important role in providing ecological and economic security to the region. A large population living around the lake depends on it for fish and flora and has been designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.
The Keibul Lamjao National Park in the southern part of the lake is a unique floating wildlife reserve, the refuge of the highly endangered brow-antlered deer, locally called Sangai, according to the Loktak Development Authority (LDA).