Sunday, June 8, 2025
Germany Latest News
  • Sports
  • USA
  • Asia
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Latin America
  • Africa
  • Europe
No Result
View All Result
Germany Latest News

Floating islands of India

by The Editor
July 5, 2020
in Life Style
0
Floating islands of India

From the air, the floating islands of Lake Loktak look like iridescent green rings.

Soon, I am walking on these saucer-like mats of biomass made of intertwined soil and organic matter. It feels like I am walking on water – or balancing on spongy trampolines that sway gently from side to side.

When our boatman steers across this vast lake in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, we encounter fishermen poised on small canoes while they cast fishing nets and lay bamboo fish traps.

The floating islands, called phumdis, are often moved around by the ingenious fishermen to form circular fish ponds, which look like rings from up high. They lay massive nets in the ponds and leave them undisturbed for about 15 days. To attract fish, they add feed like rice bran or grains.

Many fishermen live in basic bamboo huts on the phumdis, which are reinforced by layers of bamboo and anchored with heavy rock.

Pied kingfishers fly above our heads and swoop down on their catch.

The lake is also a paradise for bird lovers. More than 100 species are found here and some, like the Manipur Bush quail, are endangered.

Our guide, Rajib, likens the phumdis to icebergs. One-fifth of their mass is above the surface. The rest is obscured below the water, where the roots reach the lake bed and absorb nutrients during the dry season and rise with the water levels in the monsoon season.

Along the shore lie piles of dredged vegetation, which make great manure for vegetables.

Close to the lake, I see a street lined with stalls where the indigenous Meitei women, their foreheads smeared with sandalwood paste, sell smoked fish caught from the lake of 240 sq km. This is about one-third the size of Singapore.

At night, from our hilltop hotel, we see flickering lights on the lake and learn that fishermen tie rechargeable bulbs to bamboo poles to aid them in the dark. Also, the lights help in attracting insects, which are used as bait for the fish.

  • COVID-19 ADVISORY

  • For daily updates on Covid-19 cases in India, go to www.mygov.in/covid-19. For updates on India's entry requirements, go to bit.ly/3gbxnvl

The lake is also home to the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which straddles a 40 sq km phumdi. The park protects the endangered sangai, a deer with distinctive antlers that seem to protrude from the brow. The animal was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1951 and then conservation efforts were started to protect it.

The dainty deer has special hooves so it can walk on the phumdis. But it is in danger of losing its habitat because the building of a barrage has changed the hydrology of the lake.

We take a boat ride through the park, gliding through slim waterways fringed by tall reeds, elephant grass and purple clumpRead More – Source

straitstimes

Related posts

‘Fake heiress’ known as Anna Delvey, who inspired Netflix series, released on house arrest

‘Fake heiress’ known as Anna Delvey, who inspired Netflix series, released on house arrest

October 8, 2022
Do New School Uniform UK Rules Save Parents Money?

Do New School Uniform UK Rules Save Parents Money?

August 23, 2022

From the air, the floating islands of Lake Loktak look like iridescent green rings.

Soon, I am walking on these saucer-like mats of biomass made of intertwined soil and organic matter. It feels like I am walking on water – or balancing on spongy trampolines that sway gently from side to side.

When our boatman steers across this vast lake in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, we encounter fishermen poised on small canoes while they cast fishing nets and lay bamboo fish traps.

The floating islands, called phumdis, are often moved around by the ingenious fishermen to form circular fish ponds, which look like rings from up high. They lay massive nets in the ponds and leave them undisturbed for about 15 days. To attract fish, they add feed like rice bran or grains.

Many fishermen live in basic bamboo huts on the phumdis, which are reinforced by layers of bamboo and anchored with heavy rock.

Pied kingfishers fly above our heads and swoop down on their catch.

The lake is also a paradise for bird lovers. More than 100 species are found here and some, like the Manipur Bush quail, are endangered.

Our guide, Rajib, likens the phumdis to icebergs. One-fifth of their mass is above the surface. The rest is obscured below the water, where the roots reach the lake bed and absorb nutrients during the dry season and rise with the water levels in the monsoon season.

Along the shore lie piles of dredged vegetation, which make great manure for vegetables.

Close to the lake, I see a street lined with stalls where the indigenous Meitei women, their foreheads smeared with sandalwood paste, sell smoked fish caught from the lake of 240 sq km. This is about one-third the size of Singapore.

At night, from our hilltop hotel, we see flickering lights on the lake and learn that fishermen tie rechargeable bulbs to bamboo poles to aid them in the dark. Also, the lights help in attracting insects, which are used as bait for the fish.

  • COVID-19 ADVISORY

  • For daily updates on Covid-19 cases in India, go to www.mygov.in/covid-19. For updates on India's entry requirements, go to bit.ly/3gbxnvl

The lake is also home to the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which straddles a 40 sq km phumdi. The park protects the endangered sangai, a deer with distinctive antlers that seem to protrude from the brow. The animal was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1951 and then conservation efforts were started to protect it.

The dainty deer has special hooves so it can walk on the phumdis. But it is in danger of losing its habitat because the building of a barrage has changed the hydrology of the lake.

We take a boat ride through the park, gliding through slim waterways fringed by tall reeds, elephant grass and purple clumpRead More – Source

straitstimes

Previous Post

The Life List: Blackpink, BTS, Adele, Taylor Swift and more who broke records on YouTube

Next Post

Comfort chow around the world

Next Post
Comfort chow around the world

Comfort chow around the world

RECOMMENDED NEWS

Wuhan authorities report fourth death from coronavirus outbreak

Wuhan authorities report fourth death from coronavirus outbreak

5 years ago
‘I got dumped at Christmas’ – 6 of the worst holiday break-ups

‘I got dumped at Christmas’ – 6 of the worst holiday break-ups

7 years ago
O’Neill’s big night lifts Cardinals to 4-2 victory over Diamondbacks

O’Neill’s big night lifts Cardinals to 4-2 victory over Diamondbacks

6 years ago
Yakuza 6 review: This bizarre cult series is as impenetrable as ever

Yakuza 6 review: This bizarre cult series is as impenetrable as ever

7 years ago

FOLLOW US

  • 139 Followers
  • 87.2k Followers
  • 202k Subscribers

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • 1xbet Casino Russia
  • 1xbet Russian Top
  • Africa
  • AI
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Health
  • latest news
  • Latin America
  • Life Style
  • Mail Order Brides
  • Mostbet
  • Online dating
  • onlyfans
  • Pin Up
  • Pin Up Russia
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Uncategorized
  • USA

BROWSE BY TOPICS

2018 League Bali United Beijing BlackBerry Brazil Broja Budget Travel Bundesliga California Champions League Chelsea China Chopper Bike Coronavirus COVID COVID-19 Crime Doctor Terawan EU France French German Istana Negara Italy Kazakhstan Market Stories Mexico National Exam Nigeria Omicron Pakistan Police protests Qatar Ronaldo Russia Smart Voting Sweden TikTok Trump UK Ukraine US vaccine Visit Bali
No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • AI Girlfriends as Creative Writing Partners
  • OnlyFans Platform Analysis
  • How to Day German Fashion
  • Southeast Continental Capabilities
  • What is a Mail Order Wife?

Categories

  • 1xbet Casino Russia
  • 1xbet Russian Top
  • Africa
  • AI
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Health
  • latest news
  • Latin America
  • Life Style
  • Mail Order Brides
  • Mostbet
  • Online dating
  • onlyfans
  • Pin Up
  • Pin Up Russia
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Uncategorized
  • USA

Tags

2018 League Bali United Beijing BlackBerry Brazil Broja Budget Travel Bundesliga California Champions League Chelsea China Chopper Bike Coronavirus COVID COVID-19 Crime Doctor Terawan EU France French German Istana Negara Italy Kazakhstan Market Stories Mexico National Exam Nigeria Omicron Pakistan Police protests Qatar Ronaldo Russia Smart Voting Sweden TikTok Trump UK Ukraine US vaccine Visit Bali
Federal Government focuses on “integrated security”
latest news

Federal Government focuses on “integrated security”

by The Editor
June 14, 2023
0

Berlin (dpa) – The Federal Government is responding to the challenges of an increasingly unstable world order by means of a “policy...

Read more

Recent News

  • AI Girlfriends as Creative Writing Partners
  • OnlyFans Platform Analysis
  • How to Day German Fashion

Category

  • 1xbet Casino Russia
  • 1xbet Russian Top
  • Africa
  • AI
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Health
  • latest news
  • Latin America
  • Life Style
  • Mail Order Brides
  • Mostbet
  • Online dating
  • onlyfans
  • Pin Up
  • Pin Up Russia
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Uncategorized
  • USA

Recent News

AI Girlfriends as Creative Writing Partners

May 30, 2025

OnlyFans Platform Analysis

June 12, 2024
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Sports
  • USA
  • Asia
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Latin America
  • Africa
  • Europe

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.