Floating Lab set up to monitor Manipur's Loktak Lake

The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Laboratory (IBSD), Imphal, set up a floating laboratory in northeast India's largest freshwater lake, Loktak to constantly monitor its water quality and eventually improve it.

The laboratory was inaugurated by Manipur's Forest and Environment Minister, Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh in Imphal on February 24.

IBSD Director Professor Dinabandhu Sahu said, "Lake eco-system is under threat. What I thought was that it is important to save this lake as the quality has deteriorated and the size of the lake is shrinking substantially. ... Unless and until we take appropriate steps at this moment, 30 to 40 years from now, we will have no lake. We need to have scientific data collection which is very essential for the scientific management of the lakes."

As informed by Professor Sahu, a study will be carried out to convert the water plants into organic fertilizer along with studying the quality of life of the lake dwellers, accordingly recommending how to improve their life.

Loktak Development Authority (LDA) Project Director Bhagaton Singh said it is a joint venture between LDA and ISBD to launch the floating laboratory.

"Floating laboratory will boost up for finding the flora and fauna and whatever data we are getting from the lake will help be useful in the future," he added.

Welcoming the initiative of ISBD, Singh assured that the state government will extend all possible help for carrying out the research.

The institute worked for 4 months for procuring the boat for the laboratory, redesigning it and getting the equipment.

This venture will be helpful in conservation and sustainable development of the lake thereby improving the life of the lake dwellers drastically.