--- title: "Loktak Lake: Ramsar Site in Manipur | Model Diplomat" description: "Loktak Lake is northeast India's largest freshwater lake in Manipur, a Ramsar and Montreux Record site famed for floating phumdi and the endangered sangai deer." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/loktak-lake" --- [New](https://modeldiplomat.com/) # Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026 TL;DR - Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India, located in Manipur and known for its floating phumdi vegetation and Keibul Lamjao National Park. - Why is Loktak Lake on the Montreux Record? - What is a phumdi and why does it matter? - How has the Ithai Barrage affected Loktak Lake? - What is the significance of Keibul Lamjao National Park? [Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026 Go beyond the definition ## Research Loktak Lake like a delegate Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students. ## Timeline 1. 23 March 1990 463 on , recognising it as a representative example of a natural freshwater lake supporting distinctive biodiversity and the livelihoods of fishing communities. 2. 16 June 1993 Loktak was added to the Montreux Record on , principally due to deforestation in the catchment, siltation, and the hydrological disruption from the Ithai Bar… ## Positions at a glance ### Supporters Loktak Lake, situated near Moirang in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India, with a water-spread area that fluctuates between roughly 250 and 500 square kilometres across seasons. The lake is fed principally by the Manipur River and its tributaries and historically functioned as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the Imphal valley. Its legal and conservation significance rests on its designation as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of 1971; India listed Loktak as Ramsar Site No. 463 on 23 March 1990, recognising it as a representative example of a natural freshwater lake supporting distinctive biodiversity and the livelihoods of fishing communities. The lake is governed domestically through the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006, which established a statutory authority for its management and conservation. ### Opponents The hydrology of Loktak was transformed by the commissioning of the Loktak Hydroelectric Project in 1983, operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), with an installed capacity of 105 megawatts at the Leimatak power station. The associated Ithai Barrage, built downstream at the confluence of the Manipur and Khuga rivers, maintains an artificially elevated and stabilised water level to ensure year-round generation. This barrage eliminated the lake's natural seasonal drawdown, which historically dried and compacted the phumdi against the lakebed during the dry season, allowing the floating mats to draw nutrients from the substrate. Permanent inundation has caused phumdi to thin and degrade, threatening the very ecosystem the lake's Ramsar status protects. ## Research it like a delegate Research on modeldiplomat.com ## Ask a follow-up about Loktak Lake Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers. [Start research on Loktak Lake](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20Loktak%20Lake%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources) Example In November 2011, the Loktak Development Authority demolished floating huts on the lake under the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006, displacing fishing families and drawing criticism from civil-society groups. Keep learning ## Go deeper than the definition [Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services) ## Take Loktak Lake beyond the glossary Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.