Title: Socio-Economic Condition of the Communities Dependent on Loktak Lake, Manipur: A Study on Five Lakeshore Villages
Abstract: We investigated the socio-economic conditions of the community living in five villages (Nongmaikhong, Phoubakchao, Laphupat Tera, Karang and Ithing) located in and around Loktak lake, and their dependency on the lake for livelihoods. Questionnaires, interviews and direct observations were used in data collection. Questionnaire was administered to 150 randomly selected households. Majority of the respondents were Hindu (73.06%) with fishing (99%) as their main occupation. While 33.29% of the respondents were illiterate, 32.0% had studied up to class VIII. The total annual income of 35.80% households was below Rs.30,000. Most of the respondents lived in kuccha houses (59.13%), used low cost toilets (60.33%), used river water for drinking (48.6%) and firewood (99%) for cooking food. The local communities depended on the lake for fishing, collection of vegetables, and prawns etc. for their livelihood and income. Fish and vegetables were the major resources for which 99% and 82.53% respectively, of all the five village communities depended on the lake. Several threats from various other anthropogenic pressures on the lake are resulting in poor socio-economic condition of the local people. Therefore, to conserve the lake and its resources from further degradation effective conservation and management programmes need to be taken up between the government, local authorities and community around the lake.
Publication Year: 2013
Publication Date: 2013-06-10
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 4
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