Overview
- Researchers sampled nine rivers feeding Loktak Lake and matched water measurements to Land Use Land Cover maps from the Manipur Forest Department.
- Nambul recorded the poorest water quality with low dissolved oxygen and high organic contamination linked to 47% agricultural area and 11% settlements in its sub-catchment.
- Khuga ranked second-worst despite higher forest cover, a result the study attributes to extensive shifting cultivation measured at 42% in the region.
- Rivers such as Iril and Thoubal that traverse more forest-dominated landscapes showed better water quality, underscoring the protective role of natural vegetation.
- The study, supported by IIT Delhi with field assistance from the Manipur Pollution Control Board, warns of risks to biodiversity and livelihoods at Loktak, a Ramsar Site on the Montreux Record.