Phumdi is floating biomass in the Loktak Lake, manipur
Q. What is Phumdi?- Published on 08 Feb 16a. Vegetation
b. Bird
c. Folk dance
d. A tribe of northeast India
ANSWER: Vegetation
- Loktak lake in Manipur is the largest freshwater lake in northeast India.
- The lake is characterized by its unique floating biomass, known as ‘Phumdi’, which is the primary source of livelihood for fishermen who live on huts built on the Phumdis.
- Rich and abundant in bio-diversity, the lake also serves as a source for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply.
- Phumdis are a series of floating islands, exclusive to the Loktak Lake in Manipur state, in northeastern India. They cover a substantial part of the lake area and are heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter, in different stages of decay.
- The largest single mass of phumdi is in the southeastern part of the lake, covering an area of 40 km2 (15.4 sq mi). This mass constitutes the world’s largest floating park, named Keibul Lamjao National Park. The park was formed to preserve the endangered Eld's deer subspecies, called sangai in the Manipuri language, indigenous to this area.
- Athapums are artificial circular phumdis, built by the villagers as enclosures for fish farming; aquaculture has caused proliferation of the phumdis in the lake.
- Manipuri documentary film Phum-Shang has bagged the prestigious Golden Conch Award for the best documentary film (up to 60 minutes) at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival 2016.
- Directed by Haobam Paban Kumar, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata, the 52-minute Phum-Shang critically examines the serious environmental problems faced by the Loktak lake.
