Ising Thingbi lake in Chandel on verge of extinction

From Our Correspondent

THOUBAL | Nov 21

Ising Thinbi Lake that lies near Konaitong village under Machi block, Tengnoupal assembly constituency, Chandel district, now exists in an extremely poor state and is under the threat of becoming extinct in a few years.

Ising Thinbi is a natural lake that sits loftily amongst the rolling hills that surrounds Konaitong Village which consists of 130 households and 600 villagers.

Since past many years the greenery and forest that surrounded the lake had been cut down by people, covertly and sometimes at broad day light for making profits. Making the situation even worse, in the last few years, the villagers have started practicing terrace farming which is another cause for rapid deforestation.

All these situations have adversely affected the lake, turning it into a marsh and eventually, there is fear that Ising Thingbi Lake will die out and continue to exist as a mere name.        

Ising Thingbi being a natural wonder, it is time for the government to declare it as a tourist spot. Being secluded, the lake remains unknown like some exotic plant to the people for many years. The site where the lake exists is truly breath-taking and unique.  

The size of the lake consists approximately of 250 meters in length and breath. There has been now designated roadway connecting the lake since many years. This is one of the reasons why it is not known to the public in large. However, by the efforts taken up by the villagers of Konaitong to save the lake, a roadway was paved under the construction works of MGNREGS which had been ongoing since 2011. Two wheelers can reach the lake now through the roadway.

If a tourist would like to visit the place, he can travel down south at the national highway 39 from Imphal towards Imphal – Moreh road for a distance of 36 kilometres to reach Heirok under Thoubal district.

From there, one can reach Inganglok Village at a distance of 4 kilometres towards north. Konatitong village lies 3 kilometres away from Inganglok Village. Inganlok Village marks the end of valley and roadway to Konaitiong Village goes uphill. The roadway as for now is not fully constructed and can become cut off anytime by natural causes.    

Before the new roadway was made, the only means to reach Ising Thingbi was by foot. It could be reached by nine hours of walk from Heirok by passing along many natural canals and paddy fields.  Therefore, the only time of the year when people could visit the place was from November to April or May before Monsoon arrives as the natural canals remain flooded during the rainy seasons.  

Ising Thingbi Lake can be called a natural wonder, as there are no rivers or natural canals flowing into it. However, the lake remains filled with water all throughout the year. Elders of Konaitong village believe that water comes from underground springs that may lie beneath the lake. The lake never dries up and during rainy season, the rising surface of the lake is drawn out by a naturally formed canal.

The people from the surrounding village, considers the place as pristine and holy to them. They believe that leafs from the tress that surrounds the lake never falls into the water.                                                           

Secretary, Ising Thingbi Yaipha Thorang Committe, Maibam Rameshor has expressed in a local daily that representatives of tourist department visited the place some years back for the purpose of declaring the place as a tourist spot.

Unfortunately, the team could not reach the spot. No other planning has been taken up by the government ever since, he said. The lake now faces the threat of extinction and the organisation appeals to the people of Manipur to save the lake, he added.    

Chairman, Konaitong village D.K. Mothung said, the government should declare the place as a tourist site and construct a police outpost there for its protection and appealed to the government to draw its attention to the issue.