I hope to spark a debate about wetland governance in Manipur with this article.
We have a Chairman of Wetlands in Manipur. Technically s/he is the chairman of the Loktak Development Authority too. The administrative lord of our wetlands.
Who would citizens trust to be the chairman? I would like to think, by plain logic, it ought to be a person who has knowledge of wetlands, is an expert and had long-standing work to prove his credentials for the task at hand. Additionally, s/he is not attached closely to a political party which can impact impartial judgements.
But, our law, by which the state government selects the chairman, doesn’t work with this logic.
The law is the Loktak Protection Act (LPA). When it first came into place on April 5, 2006 the law made the chief minister of the state also the chairman of the Loktak Development Authority (LDA). It made the minister of environment and forests as the vice-chair — the one who takes over command if the chair — the chief minister — isn’t around for meetings of authority. Antithitical to this, for the National Wetlands Rules of 2017 (NWR) the Minister of Environment and Forest and Climate Change is the Chairman of the State Wetlands Authority (SWA).
The LPA law was amended on 26th March 2019, to retrospectively change who would be the chairman of LDA. However, an MLA was already appointed on 8th February 2019 as chairman. In other words, the law was passed to retrospectively give a legal cover to what the government had done — ‘accommodated’ an MLA as the chairman.
This was in line with the typical practice of chief ministers to placate MLAs to run important parastatal agencies like the Planning Department or the Pollution Control Board. These are bodies that require experts with knowledge of the work the agencies oversee. But this practice has turned these expert agencies into gifts to placate MLAs, to ensure they too get to enjoy the ‘fruits of power’.
In the 2019 amendment, the government did not put down any qualifications for the chairman or the vice-chairman. So, just about anyone could be appointed in both the positions now at the discretion of the government.
LDA became a happy hunting ground for an MLA, L. Susindro who was appointed the chairman.
Going by the way power hierarchies work in the government, it was not possible for a minister to be a subordinate of an ordinary MLA in a government agency. So the vice chairman’s post was vacated by the environment minister and kept empty under this new amendment even though the Environment Minister continues to be the Chairman of all the wetlands in any state under NWR.
It was during the term of this new Chairman from February 2019 to April 2022 that two of the most disastrous projects were attempted at Loktak.
Let us take a quick look at these projects.
First Disaster to Hit Loktak
In September 2019, the LDA, with the new chairman in position, submitted a waterway project proposal to the Union ministry of shipping. Within a month on On 31 October 2019 — “Loktak Inland Waterways Improvement Project” got sanction from the Ministry of Shipping. The project cost was set at Rs. 25,58,78,000 (25 Crore, 58 Lakh and 78 Thousand).
The stated aim of the project: To expand the motorised inland transport on Loktak and to do so by bringing in machinery and equipment to clear the lake of all obstructions for motorised transport – in other words dredge the lake for the motorised boats to run free.
It was sold as a “community welfare” project. A project that would lead to growth in trade and commerce, eco-tourism and livelihoods and job creation. All due to the motorised transport that the government wanted to run through Loktak.
Along with Shripad Dharmadhikary, I published a detailed critique of the project. We concluded the dredging of the lake bed for motor boats to ply would deeply disturb the lake’s ecosystem. The ‘peace’ of the fish, the birds and those who dwell there would be ruptured.
I also wrote a piece titled “Canoes as tools of resistance: Challenging Dispossession in Manipur”, where I argued how the wooden canoes used by people – that this project looked down upon – was not only a good tool for fishing alone but an amazing technological adaptation best suited for the complex and dynamic loktak wetland ecosystem.
It was only three months after the project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Shipping, on 6th feb 2020, the Manipur State Wetlands Authority (MSWA) convened to review this project.
The law had been turned on its head. The Wetland Authority, by law, should have reviewed the project beforehand. The LDA should not have submitted the project without approval of the Wetland Authority and the Shipping Ministry could not have cleared it without their appraisal.
In breach of law, in spirit and letter, the wetland authority retrospectively approved the project. It was a fait accompli.
The Second Shock
A second shock also hit the Loktak during this period. This was in the shape of a tourism development project sent by the LDA to Asian Development Bank (ADB) to seek funds.
Given the fact that such a project has to go through the Niti Aayog and Union environment, forests and climate change ministry (MOEFCC), on paper, it requires certain mandatory scrutiny.
What unfolded was the utter hollowness of LDA and the MSWA.
For instance within mere four days, without adequate application of mind and a fair expert review, first the technical committee of the MSWA and then the full authority cleared and recommended the “Eco-tourism project at Loktak” and “Integrated Plan for Wise Use of Loktak (2020–2025)”.
To me, it is quite clear that the technical committee was not even given enough time to reflect on the project or the Wise-Use plan.
The plan requires a mandatory Brief Document which also sets the lake boundaries, defines the zone of influence and lists the activities that can be taken up, which are to be regulated and which others banned. It’s only when this meticulous and painstaking scientific exercise has been completed that proposed projects for Loktak can be reviewed.
But the authority and its technical committee had bundled it all into a superficial exercise – an eyewash that was achieved in merely one sitting each. In what should have brought shame to the authorities and the state government, these documents were ‘shot down’ by the MOEFCC. As far as I know, till date, this crucial Brief Document of Loktak has not been finalised. It is certainly not available for the citizens of Manipur to review.
Going through the several minutes of meetings of MSWA and the many correspondences between MSWA, LDA Chairman, the chief minister, the MOEFCC, IIT (Roorkee) during this period it seems there was immense pressure from the Chairman of LDA and even those higher in the administrative and political hierarchy to get projects cleared without caring to protect and manage this vast wetland.
A New Chairman
The Governor appointed Asnikumar Moirangthem as the new LDA Chairman on 7th January, 2022 says an order on the authority’s website. However, what is confusing about this order is that, in the online news media, apparently he took over the post only around April 2022.
Reports show, on 29 January 2022 he had been denied a BJP ticket to contest local Assembly Election. This had led to several protests in Thanga constituency.
A Facebook video uploaded by the then Chief Minister Shri N. Biren on 5th February 2022, is seen placating Mr. Asnikumar not to contest from other parties and praising him that he has been a key BJP party member and holding several key offices for a long time and therefore must continue to support the party.
It is rumored that he was offered the post of the LDA Chair in lieu of a BJP ticket. If this is so, the Governor’s order of 7th January is odd. If he was holding the post of LDA Chairman from January 7 then canvassing and contesting elections would be unlawful. In the previous episode we saw how an MLA was ‘accommodated’ and in this case we are witnessing how the Loktak Chair as a post to placate disgrunted ticket seeker. This has future implications.
Loktak and LDA require impartial political leadership. Thanga constituency where this new Chairman comes from is part of Loktak itself. The question is whether a Chairman can conduct his official activities as Chairman of LDA without getting affected by his official position with the political party he is closely affiliated. For a long time Asnikumar has been holding a high position with the BJP and described himself as a Karyakarta of the party. In the recently concluded MP election, the Chairman was seen openly campaigning for the BJP candidate despite the fact it is illegal to do so if one is holding a government position. The Chairman as a position of power must not be acting for a party. This argument is valid for any other political party.
The Third Chairman
If you are not already confounded by the actions of one chairman, let me share how bizarre the story of control over the business of Loktak is. As of today, we have three and not one chairman lording over Loktak.
We just read of Asnikumar as chairman of LDA.
But, we also have the previous LDA chair, L Susindro now in a new avtaar – as the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-committee on Loktak, formed in mid 2024.
And then, we have the chairman of the MSWA who also acts as the Chairman of Loktak.
Seems to me, the state sees Loktak as a site of lucrative contracts and not as a wetland of immense value to the people of Manipur which needs to be conserved for all its ecological and social values. That is perhaps why there are too many Chairs floating around to control the business of the lake and none to conserve it.
We need a clear debate on how the state laws and regulations have been used to circumvent the terms of the central ones and how this game of chairmans must end to instead find a conserving guardian for our Loktak.
This article will be part of a series of articles of this author on wetlands and its governance. The first one is titled: Farce Behind the State’s Smokescreen Events on World Wetlands Day
The writer is a social activist.
1 thought on “Chairmen of Wetlands: A Game of Thrones at the Cost of Loktak and Other Manipur Wetlands – II”
Manipur has suffered enough in the hands of a section of people, who out of their ignorance and lack of education, have reduced the politics of this native historic state to a level of five yearly contract business. Since they lack the power of knowledge, they worship their masters and do anything to keep them happy so they continue to get crore-size contracts including running of the state government. Only education can help them stop from dirtying politics while there is urgent need to educated and aware sections of society to restore politics the honour it deserves as the highest order.
Thank you Ram for unrearthing the wrongs that the present political class is indulging in to either recover the investments in the last election or accumulating wealth for the next election by pleasing their bosses out there who love Manipur only for few things like 1) occupation and security of land and territories it took over by extracting an agreement from the then King without consent of the first elected legislative assembly, 2) natural resources over and above the ground and 3) lot many locally educated political enthusiasts who want quick power and more money for more power at the expense of environment and ecological, historical, social, economic and cultural integrity of this hill-state.
May God bless them with wisdom