Population of migratory ducks, geese dwindles in largest freshwater lake in NE

Imphal ,Feb 8: The population of migratory ducks and geese dwindled in Manipur’s Loktak which is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast due to heavy human pressure except in few pockets of the lake and Keibul Lamjao, the only floating National Park in the world, according to state coordinator RK Birjit of Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN).

The coordinator Birjit also informed that the real picture of total population will come after two or three days.

Otherwise the population of resident duck species, lesser whistling duck and migratory waterbird Eurasian Coot locally known as Ucheck porom are stable and they are the most abundant waterbirds in Loktak, he added after attending annual Waterbird Census at Loktak.

On Sunday, the IBCN, Manipur which had been officially coordinating the Loktak Waterbird Census activities for the last 15 years as a part of the Asian Waterbird Count under the directive of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, Birdlife International, and Wetland International, in association with others successfully conducted the bird census at 50 different counting sites at Loktak Lake in Bishnupur district.

The migratory birds used to spend three-four winter months at Loktak, including the 40 sq km Keibul Lamjao National Park on its south western part.Keibul Lamjao that houses several species of animals including the rare Manipur state animal Sangai or brow-antlered deer.

However, the population of the migratory birds visiting the lake is under active monitoring even though there are reports of spotting many species, Birjit observed.

A total of 32,852 waterbird including migratory population belonging to 57 species were spotted in 2014, according to a report.

According to Ramsar site criteria, a wetland is considered as internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

The 236.21 sq km Loktak, about 50 km south of state capital Imphal, has had issues with encroachers, overfishing and a barrage associated with a hydroelectric project.

In the meantime some of the rare migratory waterbirds such as Common shelduck and Ruddy shelduck which have their breeding grounds in Euro-Siberian region and central asia, were sighted in Yaralpat wetland which was once a swampy area in Imphal East district on February 2.

Yaralpat wetland in Manipur's Imphal east district, was among the selected seven wetlands of Manipur for conservation efforts.