Manipur’s Divide
The ethnic tensions in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meitei community have brought the state's governance under intense scrutiny.
Fishermen are now using Chinesemade LED bulbs and deep water fishing nets to catch fish at Manipur’s Loktak Lake at night, turning the largest fresh water lake in the Northeast into a mini-light festival, says a report in the Imphal-based Sangai Express.Taking a serious note of the drastic decline in the number of migratory birds that visited the lake this season, a team of the Indian Bird Conservation Network and Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science conducted a preliminary study on the issue and ultimately found out that use of the LED bulbs was the main reason behind the reduced sighting of migratory birds.
The study was conducted in 12 square kilometres by installing 700 to 1,000 bulbs in every sq km. Those birds, which are active at night, are greatly hindered by the rays emitted from the LED bulbs, study co-ordinator K Kebirjit noted. He said with the increasing number of floating huts the lake was not safe for local and migratory birds.
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He further informed that the team will continue to conduct studies on why the number of migratory birds visiting Loktak Lake in winter season has decreased drastically. On the other hand, members of Unique Wildlife Protection Committee, Sekmaijin, have distributed dustbins to families living on floating huts apart from urging them to refrain from hunting birds and catching fish by using chemical substances. It was reported that not more than 5,000 migratory birds were sighted in the lake this winter.
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