Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Loktak Lake
Mains level : Not Much
The Ministry of Shipping gave approval for the development of Loktak Inland Water ways improvement project in Manipur under the central sector scheme.
About Loktak Lake
- It is the largest fresh water lake in North east located at Moirang in Manipur.
- This lake is known for its circular floating swamps (called phumdis in the local language)
- The term phumdis refers to a collection of heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter at various stages of decomposition
- Sangai is the state animal of Manipur. Its hooves are adapted to walk on the phumdis
- The lake is now endangered, with innumerable threats like pollution, decline in diversity of avifauna and thinning of phumdis
- The team will enumerate the steps required to be initiated for declaring Loktak Lake as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.