Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion has always Stymied Choice of LDA Director

The Loktak Development Authority (LDA) was formed in 1986 three years after the commissioning of Loktak Multipurpose Hydro Electric Project (the Project hereinafter) in 1983. It was constituted to “…. check deterioration of Lake and to bring improvement in the areas of power generation, fisheries, tourism and siltation control”. (LDA Newsletter, October 1999. Vol. 1). The project Director was handled by a person with the rank of a Commissioner and functioned without any legal or policy framework. It was registered as a Society under Sec.20 of the Societies Act XXI of 1860. The Chief Minister or his nominee was the Chairman of the Authority and the Project Director was a Member Secretary and also Executive Head of the Authority. The LDA was under the aegis of the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of Manipur.

Even at this point of time, i.e., just 3 years after the commissioning of the project, the lake was reported to be ‘badly sick’ (WAPCOS, May 1988), that the North East Council (NEC) Commissioned a study ‘Identification Report on Development of Loktak Lake Manipur’. Because there are was no environmental impact study prior to the construction of the project there is no baseline to understand what a ‘sick’ Loktak is. But the state government knows that the lake is sick and therefore they constituted LDA as a way to address the matter. The question is whether LDA as an institution has the capacity to address the ‘sick’ Loktak.

The Loktak Protection Act (Act henceforth) was passed in 2006 and as if the framing of the Rules was forgotten, the Loktak Protection Rules (Rules henceforth) was prepared after 2 years in June 3, 2008. This parastatal agency LDA is now backed by an environmental Act of the state.  Since the capacity and role of the LDA Director is critical in lake management it is therefore important to look into who can be a Director of LDA. Moreover, the condition of the lake has not improved since its inception and therefore there is a need to self reflect why LDA have failed.

I’ve dealt in some length how the sick lake is handled so far by an incompetent LDA where it cannot prepare even a Brief Document on Loktak as required by Wetlands Rules of 2017. (read- Farce Behind the State’s Smokescreen Events on World Wetlands Day » Imphal Review of Arts and Politics). And one might argue that the lake could be in better state if the government have incrementally build a stronger institution. The question to ask is, is incompetence of LDA built in the law itself that brings it to life?

While there are many aspects of the law that needs scrutiny, but for this article, I take up the case of the Director of LDA as the title suggest. Who can be the Director of LDA? According to the Rules, Chapter 8.10, the Director of LDA can be appointed from the amongst the following:

1. Members of All India Service or Manipur Civil Service.
2. Person holding the rank not below Addl. Chief Engineer of the State Engineering Departments.
3. Persons Holding Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and having 15 years experience in wetland management.

The criterion restricts who can be chosen as LDA Director from only two sets of people. One, bureaucrats and the second engineers. Both are arguably ‘unsuitable’ to manage a wetland system.

Bureaucrats are generalist if they do not possess knowledge and expertise required for a specialized job. They acquire knowledge of the sector on the go from their previous postings but not enough to manage the complexities of an issue over a period of time. To understand and manage wetlands requires long term engagement and not few years of postings.

Manipur’s penchant for engineers is once again reflected here in the qualifications required to be LDA director or it could even be that the Rules was written in order to accommodate a person in mind. For many years now LDA has seen Engineers as Directors and we can see the disastrous result. There are no roads, bridges or buildings to be implemented inside Loktak. On the other hand, you cannot build any of these structures within the boundary of Loktak. There are specialized qualifications like Environmental Engineers who are trained for specific task. Not all engineers should be invited.

The criteria as laid out in the Rules also excludes vast array of people for the post of Director. People who have studied lakes also known as limnologist, ecologist, natural sciences etc are sure not going to get any chance to become the Director of LDA. If for example, a person who has a degree on fresh water system and/or worked in Ramsar Office cannot even apply for the post for the fact that the rule automatically excludes them. Another way of exclusion is that the post till now is not advertised and not chosen from the best. This needs to stop.

If the Chairman provides the political leadership to LDA, then the post of Director must not be a generalist but someone who has the requisite background that understand and manage the affairs of the lake.

I’ve written who should be the Chairman. See Chairmen of Wetlands: A Game of Thrones at the Cost of Loktak and Other Manipur Wetlands – II » Imphal Review of Arts and Politics. Based on the national wetland rules of 2017, the state has already established the Manipur State Wetlands Authority (MSWA) which is housed in the Directorate of Environment. The Chairman of this body is the Minister of Forest and Environment while the Chairman of LDA is the CM or his appointee.  Currently there are two Chairs of wetlands in the state of Manipur, one for all the wetlands and one Chair one for a single wetland (Loktak). This is an oddity and calls for aligning LPA with that of the national law,

I would like to propose a new mode for wetlands governance in the state.

Review the Loktak Protection Act of 2006. Rename it as Manipur Wetlands Act aligned it with the National Wetlands Rules of 2017 and the globally adopted Ramsar Convention. For this, the Manipur State Wetlands Authority is already in place as the institution that will implement this new law. This also means moving the office of LDA under the fold of MSWA. Instead of a separate Director for Loktak, there can be a Head of Wetlands under the Director of the Directorate of Environment. Mandatorily, this head must be of technically sound and must the position must not be based on the whims and fancies of the politicians. The terms and tenure must be specific and based on expected deliverables. We have left the job of managing our  wetlands far too long to those who cannot do the job.

RAM WANGKHEIRAKPAM

The writer is a social activist.