Manipur State Wetlands Authority reviews conservation measures, approves five key agendas and assesses progress on 132 ground-truthed wetlands across the state.
Imphal, August 27: Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur Losii Dikho, who also holds the Forest, Environment and Climate Change portfolio, on Thursday chaired the sixth meeting of the Manipur State Wetlands Authority (MSWA) at the Deputy Chief Minister’s Conference Hall at the Civil Secretariat, Mantripukhri.
The meeting reviewed ongoing measures for the conservation, management and protection of wetlands across Manipur, with officials and experts discussing the implementation of wetland conservation programmes and the sustainable management of wetland ecosystems.
Dikho stressed the importance of strengthening efforts to preserve and protect the state’s wetlands and called for coordinated action among departments and experts involved in wetland management.
Dr T. Brajakumar Singh, Director of the Environment and Climate Change Department and Member Secretary of MSWA, presented five agenda items before the Authority.
The first agenda concerned confirmation of the proceedings of the fifth meeting and the reconstitution of MSWA committees. The second reviewed the notification status of seven wetlands recommended as State Priority Wetlands and considered recommendations for the physical demarcation and notification of the remaining wetlands.
The third agenda examined the status of Brief Documents and Health Cards for 71 ground-truthed wetlands. The fourth dealt with Integrated Management Plans (IMPs) for wetlands and a proposal for Ramsar Site recognition.
The fifth agenda concerned W.P. (Civil) No. 304 of 2018 on wetlands before the Supreme Court of India. The Authority discussed and approved all five agenda items.
Dr Brajakumar Singh also outlined the background, roles and responsibilities of MSWA, along with the achievements and activities undertaken by the Authority.
The meeting was informed that 132 wetlands in Manipur have been ground-truthed, while 71 have been digitally demarcated or delineated. Seven wetlands have also undergone ground demarcation.
According to the presentation, three wetlands have so far been notified. Loktak Lake remains the state’s recognised Ramsar Site, designated in 1990 as Ramsar Site No. 463.
The Member Secretary further apprised the meeting of the status of Brief Documents, Health Cards and Integrated Management Plans prepared for various wetlands. The meeting also reviewed wetlands identified for preparation of IMPs under the guidelines of the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).
The Authority also reviewed the notification status of seven wetlands located across different districts of Manipur.
Dr Brajakumar Singh informed the meeting that MSWA published two editions of Wetlands of Manipur, Version 1.0 and Version 1.1, in 2025. He also stated that construction of the Cultural and Wetland Museum has commenced. Detailed reports and information on the state’s wetland conservation activities are available on the official MSWA website, mswa.app.
In his concluding remarks, Dikho welcomed the discussions and called for collective efforts to promote, protect and preserve Manipur’s wetland ecosystems.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Arun Kumar Sinha; Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and CCF (A&P) Joykumar Singh; Special Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change R.K. Amarjit Singh; Commissioner (Fisheries) Robert Singh Kshetrimayum; Secretary (Water Resources) W. Malemnganba Chenglei; Secretary (Tourism) Dr Rangitabali Waikhom; Additional Secretary (MAHUD) Regina Hongray; Project Director, Loktak Development Authority H. Balkrishna Singh; and Director, Manipur Remote Sensing Application Centre (MARSAC) O. Nodiachand Singh.
Other participants included EE (RD&PR) Ch. Sadananda Meitei; NIT Manipur Hydrology Expert Dr Ng. Romeji; Manipur University Wetland Ecology Expert Dr K. Khelchandra Singh; MU Socio-Economics Expert Dr M. Lilee Devi; MU Fishery Expert Dr Y. Rameshori; Director of Wetlands International South Asia Dr Ritesh Kumar; and Manipur University Professor Dr Kh. Pradipkumar Singh.
