Imphal, Dec. 22: Manipur?s most famous tourist destination, Loktak Lake, is set to get a new lease of life.
The Okram Ibobi Singh government has constituted a 16-member committee to suggest ways to develop Loktak, which happens to be the largest freshwater lake in the eastern region.
The committee, headed by information minister W. Leima Devi, will work on a legislation, to be called the Loktak Protection Act. Devi is in charge of the Loktak Development Authority, too.
Located 48 km from the state capital, Loktak is a source of livelihood for the residents of the area and the crux of the ecological system.
The main item on the 10-point agenda of the committee is to work out the modalities for a legislation that will strengthen the save-Loktak campaign. The other priorities are construction of a ring bund along the boundary of the lake, restoration of the area?s forest cover and construction of guesthouses on the hillocks in the vicinity of the lake.
To start with, the government will raise awareness about the need to maintain Loktak?s ecological system. Next on the 10-point programme is development of infrastructure, including guesthouses and boat services, to attract tourists to the site.
Another good news is that the Union ministry for youth affairs and sports and the Indian Olympic Association are planning a water sports complex at Loktak.
On the business front, plans are being worked out to produce fertilisers and biogas from the phumdis (floating biomass) on the lake. Pisciculture and floriculture are also in the pipeline.