KEIBUL LAMJAO NATIONAL

PARK
MANIPUR
(AIL PROJECT)
AZIZ HUSAIN XI E
Introduction
◦ Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in Bishnupur, Manipur.
◦ It covers an area of 40 km square, which was later reduced due to some conflict.
◦ It is a floating national park, and the only of its kind in the whole world. It is a vital
part of Loktak lake.
◦ The lake contains floating decomposed organic matter, which creates rings and forms
a small island kind of structure called Phumdis.
◦ It was declared a national park in 1966 for its preservation,
but was established as a national park in 1977.
Topography
◦ The park is a swamp with floating mass of vegetation created by accumulation of
organic waste and biomass with soil particles that has been thickened into a solid form
called Phumdis.
◦ The depth of the Phumdi varies from 1 ft (0.3 m) to 4 ft (1.2 m) and
◦ Two thirds to three fourths of the total park area is formed by phumdis.
◦ A waterway through the park provides year-round access by boats plying through the
lake.
◦ The swamp encompasses three hills, namely, Pabot,
Toya and Chingjao.
◦ The distinctive nature of the park is that it is “Too
deep to be marsh, too shallow to be a lake".
Weather
◦ The park has an Indian tropical monsoon with an average annual rainfall of 46.6 in,
most rains are received in July and August.
◦ Temperatures vary from a maximum of 34.4 °C in summer to a minimum of 1.7 °C in
winter. 
◦ Humidity is max. 81% in August with a min. of 49% in March.
◦ The bordering areas of the lake are stranded to the bed of the lake during the dry
season but get almost submerged for a few days during the monsoon.
◦ During this period the animals in the park move to higher hilly areas. About twenty
percent of its thickness floats on the lake, above the surface, which supports the
weight of large mammals.
Flora
◦ The park, primarily composed of moist semi–evergreen forests and has a rich blend of
aquatic, wetland and terrestrial ecosystem.
◦ Aquatic flora of the park include Zizania latifolia (wild rice, ishing kambong),
Tripidium bengalense, Eiranthus procerus (singnang), Dioscorea bulbifera (phumha),
Cynodon dactylon (tinthou), Alpinia galanga (pullei), etc.
◦ There are 2 types of phumdis, floating phumdi and sunken phumdi. Floating one
contains reeds, grasses, and other plants floating on the lake
surface, while the sunken one supports a rich emergent growth of reeds
and grasses, on the lake bed.

Zizania latifolia
◦ The phumdi vegetation had been structured into 45% Phragmites karka, 25%
Erianthus ravennae(elephant grass), 15% Saccharum munja, 5% S. latifolium, 5%
Alpinia allughas and 2% Saccharum procerum and 3% other species, including
buckwheat, water chestnut, Zizania latifolia. Zizania latifolia is the plant much
relished by the sangai deer.
◦ The three hills surrounding the park are now bared of most of the vegetation.

Phragmites karka Water Chestnut Elephant Grass

Fauna and Avifauna
◦ The leading fauna species of the park, the following: The brow-antlered deer, hog
deer, wild boar, large Indian civet, common otter, fox, jungle cat, Asian golden cat,
bay bamboo rat, musk shrew, common shrew, flying fox and sambar.
◦ Fishes include Channa striata, Channa punctatus, common carp, Wallago attu and pool
barb.
◦ Amphibians and reptiles include the keel back tortoise, viper, krait, cobra, water
cobra, banded krait, Asian rat snake, python, Russel's viper, checkered garter snake
and common lizard. Python molurus is also found in the park.
Brow-antlered Deer
Hog Deer

Large Indian Civet

Russel's Viper

Keel Back Channa Striata

Tortoise
Avifauna
◦ The park has both migratory and resident. Some of them are the East Himalayan pied
kingfisher, black kite, Indian pied myna, North Indian black drongos, yellow headed
wagtail, spotbill duck, blue-winged teal, ruddy shell duck, threatened hooded crane,
Burmese sarus spot bill crane, Indian white-breasted waterhen and crimson-breasted
pied woodpecker, etc.

East Himalayan Pied Black Drongos Yellow-headed

Kingfisher Wagtail
Hazards
1.Due to the construction of the Ithai Barrage under the LMPP, there is permanent
flooding of the park. The natural cycle of floating and sinking of phumdis has been
disturbed which used to maintain the thickness and strength of the phumdis, which is
now decreasing.
2.The barrage has disrupted the natural cycle of flow of minerals from top to bottom
and from the hills to the lake, that affects phumdis and the ecosystem.
3.The permanent hold of water has converted the marshy
land into a water body, disturbing the ecosystem.
4. Water quality is worsening because of flow of pollutants
from towns, use a agrochemicals, accumulation of still
water, deforestation, soil erosion and rotting of vegetation in
the lake.
Conservation Measures
Measures have been implemented to conserve and maintain the lake and the park:
◦ To provide effective protection
◦ Increasing area under phumdis in the park,
◦ Creating an awareness in which local people volunteer as guardian for park and
wildlife.
◦ To encourage ecotourism and nature education,
◦ To undertake, aid, promote and co–ordinate research works,
◦ Propagating ethnic information, exhibition.
Conservation Measures
Conservation measures that have been implemented by the Forest Department for
protection are:
1. A perimeter fence of 2,281 m length in most vulnerable sections of the park to
prevent entry of people and domestic livestock.
2. Seven canoes and four checkpoints are placed at strategic points for security. Also an
Army Helicopter for census work.
3. The park is under the supervision of full–time forest officials.
4. Appointment of Assistant Conservator of Forests, Assistant veterinary surgeon,
Ranger of forests, Field assistant, 3 Foresters, 4 Forest guards and 8 others.