The clean-up drive was held under the initiative of the All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) to clear the waterway amidst the strong southwesterly winds and the over-flowing thick mats of water hyacinths, water lettuces, paragrass and alligator weed that are invasive in nature
TFM Desk
To mark the International Rivers Day 2024, Loktak fishers on Thursday a cleaning drive along waterways connecting the lake shore from the Ningthoukhong project canal point up to Champu Khangpok floating island village to clear invasive weeds from Loktak Lake.
The drive was taken up as clearing invasive weeds is contributory service to the global campaign on addressing freshwater aquatic ecosystem restoration as part of the worldwide event for the International Rivers Day 2024.
The clean-up drive was held under the initiative of the All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) to clear the waterway amidst the strong southwesterly winds and the over-flowing thick mats of water hyacinths, water lettuces, paragrass and alligator weed that are invasive in nature and which are chocking the wetland by their massive uncontrolled spread.
The International Rivers Day is observed every year to spread the message of restoring the natural ecosystem of rivers and other waterways that are vital to humans, in particular wetland dependent communities, in terms of access to clean, healthy water and the access to these water bodies for sourcing food, fodder and other water related activities including capture fishery and aquaculture.
On 14 March in 1997, 20 different nations converged at Curitiba in Brazil to form a global coalition against the degradation of ecologically sensitive water bodies, rivers and watersheds, and the outcome was the decision to observe 14 March every year as “The International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life” which later translated to ‘The International Rivers Day’.
The theme for this year is ‘Water for All’ with the broad focus on two aspects: firstly, the fundamental right for everyone to access to clean water, and secondly, the call to safeguard rivers as national assets crucial for the well-being of entire populations. The call reflects the concern on safeguarding rivers by advocating legal protections and other means to prevent rivers from pollution primarily by urban sewage and industrial sewage discharges.
Loktak fishers under the aegis of ALLAFUM had since been observing the day without respite during the past decade, campaigning for clean, thriving waterways interconnected with the freshwater Loktak Lake. The campaign looks at ecosystem restoration on a priority note while addressing livelihood concerns of the local fishing community who largely depend on the lake for their living.
Amongst others, senior journalist Sobhapati Samom and IUCN CEESP member Salam Rajesh took part in the event on Thursday, along with executive members of the fishers union. The Loktak fishers used only their traditional fishing gears riding on dugout canoe to clear the biomass blocking the waterways across Loktak Lake.