Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho chaired the 6th meeting of the Manipur State Wetlands Authority (MSWA) on Thursday, August 27. The session took place at the Deputy Chief Minister’s Conference Hall in the Civil Secretariat, Mantripukhri. Dikho, who also heads the Forest, Environment and Climate Change portfolio, pushed for a unified strategy. He said, "I call for collective efforts to promote, protect and preserve the State’s vital wetland ecosystems."
Member Secretary Dr. T. Brajakumar Singh presented five core agenda items. These included reconstituting MSWA committees and reviewing the notification status of seven State Priority Wetlands. The board addressed physical demarcation requirements and the status of 71 ground-truthed wetlands awaiting health cards. They also reviewed Integrated Management Plans and pending Supreme Court case W.P. (Civil) No. 304 of 2018.
Data shows progress. Officials have ground-truthed 132 wetlands across the state. They digitally delineated 71 sites. Seven wetlands underwent physical demarcation on the ground. Three sites are now formally notified. Loktak Lake remains a protected Ramsar Site, designated as Site No. 463 in 1990.
The authority noted the 2025 release of two publications: Wetlands of Manipur Version 1.0 and 1.1. Construction of the Cultural and Wetland Museum is underway. A wide range of officials and experts attended, including representatives from NIT Manipur, Manipur University, and Wetlands International South Asia.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 1:50am
Detailed progress reports and real-time tracking metrics for the state's wetlands are now live on the official Manipur Wetlands App at mswa.app.
The meeting included a heavy roster of state brass and academic experts. Attendees included Principal Secretary Arun Kumar Sinha, CCF Joykumar Singh, Special Secretary R.K. Amarjit Singh, and Commissioners and Secretaries from Fisheries, Water Resources, Tourism, and MAHUD. Technical muscle came from the Manipur Remote Sensing Application Centre, NIT Manipur, and a team of researchers from Manipur University specializing in ecology, socio-economics, and fishery science.
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