Loktak Lake conservation: Manipur CM Khemchand Singh urges joint action
Synopsis
Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh inaugurated a River Front Garden along the Nambul River on 26 September, framing river cleanliness as the key to saving Loktak Lake — Northeast India's largest freshwater lake and home to the world's only floating-island fishing communities. The Nambul rejuvenation is funded under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti's National River Conservation Plan.
Key Takeaways
Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh on 26 September 2026 inaugurated a River Front Garden along the Nambul River in Imphal.
The garden is part of the Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme under the National River Conservation Plan of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti .
Loktak Lake , located in Bishnupur district about 48 km from Imphal, is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India.
The lake is home to unique floating biomass islands ( Phumdis ) and floating-hut communities ( Phumsangs ) found nowhere else in the world.
The CM urged clubs, residents, and stakeholders along the Nambul River to actively support government conservation efforts.
MLA Nishikant Singh Sapam and Environment Director Dr Tourangbam Brajakumar Singh attended the inauguration.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday, 26 September 2026, called upon citizens, stakeholders, and residents along the Nambul River to collectively safeguard Loktak Lake — the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India — stressing that a clean river corridor is the first line of defence for the lake's ecological future.
Why Loktak Lake Matters
Situated in Bishnupur district, roughly 48 km from Imphal city, Loktak Lake is often described as a miniature inland sea and is recognised globally for its unique floating biomass islands called Phumdis. Fishing communities residing on these islands in floating huts known as Phumsangs represent a way of life found nowhere else on earth. The lake is widely regarded as the lifeline of Manipur, sustaining livelihoods, biodiversity, and downstream water flows across the region.
The Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh was speaking at the inauguration of a newly constructed River Front Garden along the stretch from Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak to Ngakraba Bridge. The garden is part of the broader Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme, being implemented under the National River Conservation Plan of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. The Directorate of Environment and Climate Change of the Manipur state government is executing the project under the Jal Shakti Mission.
What the Chief Minister Said
Khemchand Singh underlined that keeping the Nambul River clean is directly linked to preserving Loktak Lake, since the river is a primary feeder channel into the lake. He said the mission aims not only to maintain the lake's water quality but also to ensure that water flowing into it remains unpolluted at the source. He added that cleaner river surroundings would also reduce hardships faced by communities living along its banks.
The Chief Minister urged clubs, residents, and all stakeholders along the Nambul River corridor to actively participate in conservation efforts and extend full cooperation to government initiatives already under way.
Who Was Present
The inauguration programme was attended by MLA Nishikant Singh Sapam, Dr Tourangbam Brajakumar Singh, Director of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, and several other dignitaries. Their presence signalled broad institutional backing for the river and lake conservation drive.
What Comes Next
The Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme is a continuing initiative, and the River Front Garden represents one visible component of a larger effort to restore the river's ecological health. Sustained community participation, according to the Chief Minister, will determine whether the conservation gains hold over the long term. With Loktak Lake already under environmental pressure from encroachments and pollution, the river corridor project is being watched as a test case for Manipur's broader water-body governance.
Point of View
Invasive species pressure, and upstream pollution — problems that symbolic inaugurations alone cannot resolve. Linking the Nambul River's health directly to the lake's survival is ecologically sound, but the Jal Shakti-funded rejuvenation programme will only matter if community compliance is enforced rather than merely appealed to. Manipur's track record on lake conservation has been uneven, and the River Front Garden, however aesthetically welcome, is one node in a far larger governance challenge. The real measure will be whether effluent discharge along the Nambul corridor falls — and whether that data is made public.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Loktak Lake and why is it significant?
Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, located in Bishnupur district of Manipur, roughly 48 km from Imphal. It is internationally recognised for its unique floating biomass islands called Phumdis, on which fishing communities live in floating huts known as Phumsangs — a way of life found nowhere else in the world.
What is the Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme?
It is a conservation initiative being implemented under the National River Conservation Plan of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, aimed at cleaning and ecologically restoring the Nambul River in Manipur. The programme is executed by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change of the Manipur state government under the Jal Shakti Mission.
What did Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh inaugurate on 26 September?
CM Khemchand Singh inaugurated a newly constructed River Front Garden along the stretch from Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak to Ngakraba Bridge in Imphal. The garden is one component of the broader Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme.
How is the Nambul River connected to Loktak Lake?
The Nambul River is a primary feeder channel into Loktak Lake. Pollution and ecological degradation of the river directly affect water quality in the lake, which is why the CM framed river cleanliness as essential to protecting the lake.
Who attended the River Front Garden inauguration?
The programme was attended by MLA Nishikant Singh Sapam, Dr Tourangbam Brajakumar Singh (Director, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change), and several other dignitaries alongside Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
