A heavy storm in the night of April 20 has destroyed various cage and pen culture units installed at Loktak Lake under the Loktak Livelihood Mission, leading the affected fisher folks to make a call for help to the relevant authority. The State Fisheries Department had installed 20 units of cage culture and 36 units of pen culture units inside the Loktak Lake, Takmu Lake and at the periphery of Loktak Lake during the last two years, a statement issued by the Directorate of Fisheries, Lamphelpat informed.
The eco-friendly fishery units have reportedly benefitted hundreds of households settled at Manipur’s Loktak Lake by providing employment and thus generating income. The fish farmers affected are mostly from Thanga Salam Leikai, Khunjem Leikai and Ningthoukhong.
The devastation inflicted by the storm on the fishery units has caused the fisher folks great distress as they rely on the fishery units for their livelihood.
Several fish species such as grass carp, mrigal, rohu and silver carp etc cultivated in different cage and pen units in the freshwater of the Loktak Lake have escaped uninterrupted along the vast water bodies, the statement added.
The affected fisher folks have expressed strong concern over their loss of livelihood on account of the storm.
They have appealed to the State Government, particularly to the authorities concerned of the State Fisheries Department, to extend financial support to recover the physical and economic loss and further rebuild their livelihood.
Meanwhile, the Director of Fisheries, Manipur along with the District Fishery Officer, Bishnupur have assessed the extent of damage and assured to extend all possible financial and physical help in reconstruction of the damaged fishery units at the earliest.
It is worth noting that the Loktak Livelihood Mission is a State sponsored scheme and an ambitious livelihood project undertaken by the Department of Fisheries, Government of Manipur under the initiative of the Chief Minister of Manipur.