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Indian Geography22 Concepts & Facts

Why Is Loktak Lake Famous: Phumdis & Keibul Lamjao GK

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Loktak Lake, situated near Moirang in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, is widely celebrated as one of the most ecologically extraordinary and visually unique wetland ecosystems on Earth. Spanning an expansive area ranging from 250 to 287 square kilometers during the monsoon season, it reigns as the largest natural freshwater lake in Northeast India. The international renown of Loktak Lake derives fundamentally from its unique geological and biological phenomenon known as "Phumdis"—a heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter in varying stages of decay that float naturally upon the lake’s water surface. Covering a substantial portion of the water body, these floating bio-mass islands form buoyant platforms robust enough to sustain traditional thatched huts and schools built by local fishermen, known as the Meitei community.

The global ecological crowning glory of Loktak Lake is anchored in its south-western sector: the Keibul Lamjao National Park. Encompassing forty square kilometers of contiguous floating phumdis, Keibul Lamjao is recognized as the world’s only floating national park. This unique floating sanctuary is the exclusive, last remaining natural habitat on Earth for the critically endangered Sangai (the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Rucervus eldii eldii). Endemic strictly to this wetland, the Sangai is celebrated as the state animal of Manipur. Because the deer treads delicately across the trembling, spongy floating vegetative mats with its specialized splayed hooves, it has earned the affectionate global moniker of the "Dancing Deer of Manipur." The lake is fed by the Manipur River and numerous hill streams, playing an essential hydrological role in regional flood buffering, groundwater recharge, and local livelihood sustenance.

Recognizing its unique biodiversity and ecological functions, Loktak Lake was designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on 23 March 1990. However, the construction of the Ithai Barrage across the Manipur River in 1983—commissioned to provide hydraulic head for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project—fundamentally altered the lake’s natural seasonal water fluctuations. The elimination of natural dry-season drawdowns prevented the phumdis from settling onto the lakebed to absorb terrestrial nutrients, causing the floating biomass to thin, fragment, and deteriorate. Consequently, Loktak Lake was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993, highlighting its urgent ecological distress. In addition to its natural significance, the lake's historic shoreline at Moirang witnessed a momentous milestone during India's freedom struggle: on 14 April 1944, Colonel Shaukat Malik of the Indian National Army (INA) hoisted the Indian tricolor for the first time on the mainland of India.

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#1
Loktak Lake is located near Moirang in Bishnupur district of Manipur, representing the largest natural freshwater lake in Northeast India.
#2
The lake spans an area varying between 250 and 287 square kilometers depending on seasonal monsoon water levels.
#3
The defining natural phenomenon of Loktak Lake is the presence of "Phumdis"—floating heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil, and decaying organic matter.
#4
Phumdis are buoyant enough to support human dwellings, fishing huts, and small primary schools constructed by the local Meitei fishing community.
#5
Keibul Lamjao National Park, situated in the southern sector of Loktak Lake, is officially recognized as the ONLY floating national park in the world.
#6
Covering 40 square kilometers of floating phumdis, Keibul Lamjao was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1966 and a National Park in 1977.
#7
Keibul Lamjao is the sole natural refuge on Earth for the critically endangered Sangai (Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Rucervus eldii eldii).
#8
The Sangai is the official state animal of Manipur, celebrated as the "Dancing Deer" because it walks delicately over the trembling floating phumdis.
#9
The Sangai is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
#10
Loktak Lake was officially designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on 23 March 1990.
#11
The lake was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993—a register of Ramsar wetlands facing significant ecological degradation.
#12
The primary cause of ecological degradation was the construction of the Ithai Barrage in 1983 for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project operated by NHPC.
#13
The Ithai Barrage maintains a permanently high water level, preventing phumdis from grounding in the dry season to regenerate nutrients, leading to their thinning.
#14
Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and Loktak Lake in Manipur are the only two Indian wetlands currently listed on the Montreux Record (Chilika was delisted in 2002).
#15
The Loktak Development Authority (LDA) was constituted under the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006 to conserve the wetland.
#16
Sendra Island is a prominent elevated hillock located within the lake that functions as an eco-tourism hub providing panoramic views of the floating phumdis.
#17
The lake supports rich avifauna, hosting migratory waterfowl such as the Falcated Duck, Ferruginous Pochard, and Northern Pintail during winter.
#18
Traditional circular floating fishing enclosures constructed by local fishermen using phumdis are known locally as "Athaphums."
#19
On 14 April 1944, Colonel Shaukat Malik of the Indian National Army (INA) hoisted the Indian National tricolor at Moirang on the shores of Loktak Lake.
#20
The INA War Museum and Memorial Complex is situated at Moirang, commemorating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's liberation campaign.
#21
The Manipur River and several tributaries (including the Khuga and Imphal rivers) drain into and through the Loktak wetland system.
#22
Questions concerning the unique floating character of Keibul Lamjao and the Sangai deer habitat are recurring favorites in UPSC and state PSC examinations.

Subject Specialist Commentary

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Educator's Insight
Loktak Lake in Manipur is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, famous for phumdis—thick floating islands of soil and organic matter. Local fishermen live on these floating mats in traditional huts called athaphums. Its southern zone hosts Keibul Lamjao, the world’s only floating national park and the exclusive sanctuary of the endangered Sangai brow-antlered deer.
In UPSC and State PSC exams, examiners regularly ask about the Montreux Record. Loktak was placed on this register in 1993 because the Ithai Barrage kept water levels artificially high, preventing phumdis from grounding and regenerating. Remember that Loktak and Keoladeo National Park are currently the only two Indian sites on the Montreux Record, as Chilika was removed in 2002. Also connect Moirang on Loktak's shore to the INA flag hoisting in 1944.

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