Indian paramilitary hovercrafts raises threat to bird migration at the Ramsar site, Loktak lake

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The insurgency operations of the Indian paramilitary forces at the Loktak lake in the Indian state of Manipur using hovercrafts making big sounds is raising serious threat to the bird migration in this crucial Ramsar site, says a recent study done on the bird migration pattern in the lake.

Loktak Lake
Image courtesy Wikimedia commons

The study conducted by the Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science at Imphal found that the rate of migration has declined this year and that the bird population around the lake has fallen drastically since the inception of paramilitary operations using hovercrafts, which is a special craft which can travel both on water and land.

Sound Pollution by hovercrafts at Loktak
The study points out to the severe sound pollution caused by hovercrafts while operating as a major threat to the bird migration.  According to PTI reports, ornithologists has pointed out that 80 decibel sound itself can harm the ecology and health of birds. The hovercrafts used in Loktak Lake produce sound to the tune of 104 decibels to 120 decibels.

Indian paramilitary forces are using 3 imported hovercrafts from the US in the Loktak Lake to check insurgent operations in the areas. Manipur has been crushed by internal insurgency and draconian military laws for decades and now the conflict is taking a toll at the ecology of Loktak Lake and the avian fauna here.

Loktak, being the largest lake in the northeast India, is a major point in the migratory route of thousands of winged visitors like Lanius cristatus from the northern hemisphere. According to experts, Siberian cranes, wild ducks, herons, pink-headed ducks also annually visit Loktak Lake. The lake is also home to endangered Brow-antlered deer or Sangai (Cervus eldi eldi), which is the state animal of Manipur.

India will add 25 wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites in next three years

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According to the an official report submitted to the ongoing 11^th meeting of the conference of contracting parties to the Ramsar convention for protecting wetlands, India will add 25 more wetlands to the list of internationally important wetlands in the country within the next three years. Presently 25 wetlands have been identified as wetlands of international importance from india.

The country, which is a party to the convention has identified 115 important wetlands in the country so far and has implemented a National Wetland conservation Programme for the conservation of these sites. Of late, according to official communication, 24 more sites are added to this list.

Lake Tsomoriri
Credit: ©Pankaj Chandan / WWF-India

It was India’s obligation to add 25 wetlands as Ramsar sites of international importance, as per the conditions of the CoP – 7 which was held in Costa Rica in 1999. Presently, 6 more sites are in the process of getting designated as wetlands of international importance. The country has expressed hopes to “designate at least 25 more Ramsar sites during the next triennium”.

Moreover, the authorities will try to notify at least 500 wetlands in the region for putting up regulations to save the degrading ecosystems of the wetlands.

Presently, five among the 25 Ramsar sites in India support globally threatened species which include Cervus IIdi IIdi in loktak and Irrawadi dolphin found in Chilika Lake. Wetland areas in Keladeo National park is known for supporting critically endangered Siberian Crane. However, according to official response, this rare migratory bird has not been recorded from the area for the last few years, with the last record is of 2 individuals in 1999. Royal Bengal Tiger in Sunderbans and black necked Crane in Tso Murari in Jammu and Kashmir are some other threatened species supported by Ramsar sites in India.

Goliath Heron, which is expected to have just 20 individuals in South East Asia is also recorded from some of the Ramsar sites in India. Oriental Darter, Painted Stork, Blanck-neck stork, Black-headed ibis, Lesser Flamingo, Ferruginous Duchm Beach Thick-knee, Asian Dowitcher, Black-bellied Tern, Grey headed Fishing Eagle and Pallid Harrier were also recorded from some of these conserved areas.

According to the official response in the document, government is finding it difficult to change the mindset of the managers while sectorial approach is another major bottleneck in implementing the terms of the convention. Lack of infrastructure, expertise and man power is another major bottleneck faced by some Indian states in Ramsar conservation. 



Read more on Ramsar CoP11 coverage by IBT