Context:
Activists surrounding the Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) in Manipur have now taken up the cudgels to ensure that the government does not shift the proposed heritage park from the approved site.
Relevance:
GS III- Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP)
- Key details
Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP)
- The KLNP is a national park in the Indian state of Manipur’s Bishnupur district.
- It is the only floating park in the world, covering an area of 40 km2, and is a crucial component of Loktak Lake in North East India.
- The national park is characterized by floating decomposed plant material locally called Phumdi at the south–eastern side of the Loktak Lake, which has been declared a Ramsar site.
- It was established in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary to protect the Eld’s deer’s natural habitat, which is in risk of extinction.
- It was declared a national park in 1977.
Key details
- The last remaining brow-antlered deer (Rucervus eldii eldii), one of the most endangered species in the world, could be found in KLNP.
- Locally, it is known as Sangai.
- The majority of phumdis, or floating swamps, cannot support the animal’s weight, therefore it is actually in danger of losing its habitat.
- It was thought to be extinct in 1951, but naturalist and British tea grower Edward Pritchard Gee found it in 1953.
-Source: The Hindu
