This document contains information about Loktak lake in Manipur which is the largest natural freshwater lake. It was given as a topic under subject of landscape in India. The Document primarily focuses on : What is Loktak Lake and why is it so famous and important in India. Please give it a read and comment your views.

1. LOKTAK LAKE,
MANIPUR
AR2602 : Site Planning and Landscaping architecture
Naina shrivastava
19sa138

2. Contents
What and why is it Loktak lake?
General info
Location and Climate
Lake’s source and contribution
Geographical info
Flora fauna
Facts and Threats

3. The lake is located at Moirang in Manipur state, India. The
etymology of Loktak is Lok = "stream" and tak = "the
end".It is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of
vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of
decomposition) floating over it.
Loktak Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake and
ancient supervolcanic caldera in India. The lake has a
surface area of around 287 square kilometers. Loktak is
also considered a pulsating lake, meaning the water levels
vary significantly (from roughly 287 sq.kms to 500 sq
kilometers) with the seasonal rains.
What is Loktak Lake and
Why is it called Loktak?

4. An oxbow lake forms when a river creates a meander, due to the
river's eroding the bank. After a long period of time, the meander
becomes very curved, and eventually, the neck of the meander
becomes narrower and the river cuts through the neck during a
flood, cutting off the meander and forming an oxbow lake.
Example - Loktak Lake
1998 loktak lake
March 19, 2018

5. caldera
A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and
collapses. During a volcanic eruption, magma present in the magma
chamber underneath the volcano is expelled, often forcefully.Some
calderas form a lake as the bowl-shaped depression fills with water.

6. Known for its floating circular swamps, which are
called phumdis in the local tongue. These swamps look
almost like islands and are a mass of soil, organic
matter and vegetation.
The phumdis float around on the lake’s surface due to
decay from the bottom. Some are so large that the
indigenous fishing folk Meiteis have constructed
makeshift floating huts locally known as phumsangs on
them.
The lake houses the only floating national park in the
world, the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the
last refuge of the endangered brow-antlered deer or
sangai, Manipur's state animal. It is a natural formation
without human aid and thus famous in the entire world.
In addition, the lake shelters about 230 species of
aquatic plants, 100 types of birds and 400 species of
fauna like barking deer, sambar and Indian python and
is a visual treat for birdwatchers.

7. Loktak Lake is fed by the Manipur river and several
tributaries and 'Ungamel Channel' (Ithai Barrage) is its only
outlet now.
-The Manipur River rises from Karong and flows through
south of Imphal and gives birth to this floating lake which
provides sustenance and livelihood to many people.
For the past many years, this lake has been a source of food,
freshwater, carrying occupation, hydropower generation, and
carries sustenance. Most of the fishermen depend upon this
lake for their livelihood. The most important plants used to
be tou, singut, and khoimom.
Also, a dam was built on the lake in the 1980s, and today it
supplies hydropower to different states of India.This lake has
been serving around 55 villages for the past many years for
vegetation, freshwater, irrigation, domestic water use, and
agricultural purposes.
Lake’s source and contribution

8. Loktak Lake forms the direct catchment area of 980 sq. km
from which 430 sq. km is for paddy cultivation, and 150 sq.
km is covered under habitation. The remaining 400 sq. km
is the forest area. At the South of Imphal valley, this lake
forms marshy land and has large pockets of freshwater.
There are two main zones of the lake, which are known as
“Buffer Zone” and “Core Zone.” Buffer Zone is also known as
the balance area, and Core Zone is known for the protected
area. At the South of this lake, there are some islands
formed names as Sendra, Lthing, and Thanga islands.
Geographical info

9. The nature of the lake - both as a pulsating lake and one with floating
vegetation-based islands lends itself to being a rich and biodiverse
area and houses more than 700 species of flora and fauna- aquatic
as well as on the ground. Whether it is the diversity of migratory
birds, or the unique indigenous animals, the natural wildlife of the
region is truly astounding.
Some 233 species of aquatic macrophyte plants can be found here,
some free-floating, some submergent, emergent or rooted floating
leaf types.
The Phumdis themselves are made up of a variety of plants,
including primarily: water hyacinth, reed grasses, Oryza sativa (or
Asian rice plant), Manchurian wild rice, dog tooth grass, Limnophila
(marsh weed), various types of Sagittaria (such as swamp potato),
broomsedge grasses, swamp rice grass, and carex grasses. All of
these plants grow well in wet conditions, and have strong binding
roots that help hold the phumdis together.
The lake has a rich biological diversity that includes more than 200
species of macrophytes that survive in water.
Lake’s flora and fauna

10. 57 species of waterbirds and another 14 species of wetland
associated birds have been noted in the lake including 28
species of migratory waterfowl (most migrating from different
parts of the northern hemisphere beyond the Himalayas).Also
recorded were 425 species of animals—249 vertebrates and
176 invertebrates).
Out of the 101 species of birds that are found in Loktak, three
are globally threatened. Some of the rare birds found are the
Common Pochard (vulnerable), Ferruginous Duck (near
threatened), Japanese quail (near threatened), and Manipur Bush
Quail (endangered).
Lake’s fauna

11. Also found, are the Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Greylag Goose,
Red Collared Dove, Sarus Crane, Great White Pelican, Black Kite,
Pied Kingfisher and the Oriental Skylark. Some of the gorgeous
fauna inhabiting the region includes the Indian python, sambar,
barking deer, rhesus monkey, hoolock gibbon, Indian civet, and
Temminck’s golden cat.
An approximate of 1,500 tonnes of fish is sourced from the Lake
per year. Old varieties of local fishes like ngamu, ukabi, ngaril,
pangba, tharak, and ngashap which were near decline have also
been reintroduced into the system.
Lake’s fauna

12. The fishermen of the area use boats with oars when they
set out to fish, which disturbs the monotony and the
silence of the place. They set out early to place fish traps.
Canoes, which have been popular for centuries, are used
by them to set the stated fish traps. The main occupation
of the people residing in the area is fishing, and therefore,
the lake serves as a lifeline. Some people depend on the
Loktak lake for irrigation, hydel power generation and
most importantly, for the supply of fresh water for
drinking. There are several huts, built out of rocks,
bamboo, rods and metal plates, which act as houses for
the fishermen. Another point to keep in mind that India’s
first floating school is found in the region.
Men and their activities
Between the phumdis, waterways system is used by locals to pass
through the park.

13. What is Loktak Lake issue?
The Loktak Lake and its precincts have faced serious
problems. The distress situation in the lake is due to
shifting agriculture, extensive deforestation, and
unscientific land use practices in the catchment areas
which bring a large amount of silt to the lake. To
address all the issues raised on the health of the lake,
Government of Manipur has set up the Loktak
Development Authority with the objective to enable
administration, control, protection, improvement,
conservation and development of the natural
environment of the lake and for matter concerned
thereto.

14. An integral part of the Keimbul Park, was initially
declared as a sanctuary in October 1953 mainly to save
the extinction of Sangai deer. In July 1954, hunting was
allowed other than the part where the Sangai deer
resided. The park was officially notified as a sanctuary
in 1966 and nearly a decade later, in 1977 it was
notified as a national park.
A documentary named Phum Sang, made by Hao bam
Pawan Kumar examines the serious environmental
challenges it is facing and also won the Golden Conch
award for best documentary in Mumbai International
Film Festival in 2014.
Acknowledged by UNESCO in its tentative list of World
Heritage sites, the Loktak lake is a blend of rich
bio-diversity with the delightful landscape making it a
must visit for any travel enthusiast.
Facts
November and March are the best time to see
Keibul Lamjao park as interesting sightings of
migratory birds can be seen, and are
climatically suitable months as in monsoon
season, humidity level goes very high.