Residents ban Loktak Lake development works 

Newmai News Network 
IMPHAL | September 2

All works related with development and conservation of Loktak Lake in Manipur was forced to suspend by residents of Thanga and Karang. 

Thanga and Karang are located in the vicinity of the lake. 

On Wednesday, as many as six organisations imposed the ban on the works of the Loktak Development Authority (LDA) responsible for implementation of various developmental and conservation schemes of the lake. They imposed the ban after a field staff of the LDA was tested positive for the COVID-19. The residents alleged that the authority violated conditions set by the six organisations to LDA.

The organisations had recently written to the chairman of the LDA to stop field works for development of the lake during the pandemic.

If the LDA has to continue the work, those field staff and workers engaged in the work should produce documents that are free from the virus, they demanded. "Despite the conditions set by them, LDA continued their works forcibly by detailing security personnel at the work site", leaders of the organisations further alleged.

Leaders of the organisations along with a large number of residents of Thanga and Karang turned up at the LDA office in the outskirts of Thanga and protested there to register their strong resentment against the activities of the authority. During the protest, the residents expressed fear of contracting the virus among the residents of the area from the staff and workers of the LDA.