Courtesy: Pothashang
Imphal, Jan 18: Sailors on the Loktak Lake has suffered stopping their sailing business since the past about ten days as the wind carried up the floating swamps (Phumdi) and deposited by the shoreline.
Dweller at Moirang area who depends their livelihood on the lake specially the sailors has been cursed by the wind with the widely covered mass of the swamps but cutting their source of earning.
Locals who take up sailing business under the banner ‘Loktak Lake Tourism Development Co-operative Society, Ltd’ has been providing boating service to the tourists and local visitors with the promotion of tourism at Loktak. The boats carry ten to twelve persons at a time and sail along. Some larger boats carry twenty five persons.
The sailors drew the attention of the Loktak Development Authority to cleanse the swamps. “We will starve if the phumdis are not clean up quickly. We have been facing hardships since last year with decreased visitors during the ILP issue and lost our hope during the last Sangai festival as there were no tourists due to the blockade tension in the state”, said a sailor.
While we had been buying petrol at high price to run the boats the nature has again come to our way of life, added the sailor.
