🛶 Lives of the Local Fishermen

Loktak Lake is more than a body of water — it is a living, breathing lifeline for the communities that surround it.
For generations, families have depended on this vast lake for food, income, shelter, and identity. The relationship between the people and the lake is deep, ancient.

🌾 A Life Connected to the Water

The fishermen of Loktak begin their day before sunrise.
As the first light touches the water, they set out in long, narrow boats called higee thangou, gliding silently across the lake. The soft mist covers everything, making their silhouettes blend into the morning calm.

Fishing is not just work — it is a rhythm passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Each family knows the lake’s moods, the way the currents shift, and where the fish hide beneath the phumdis.

🏡 Floating Homes: The Phumshangs

One of the most unique sights on Loktak Lake is the phumshang, a floating hut built on thick phumdis.
These huts move gently with the water, anchored only by bamboo poles. For some fishermen, the phumshang is not just a workplace — it is home.

Inside, families cook, clean, rest, and even dry fish.
Children learn to balance on the floating ground, and elders sit by the doorway, watching birds and boats move across the lake.

The phumshang shows how human life adapts beautifully to nature.

🎣 Traditional Fishing Methods

The people of Loktak use a variety of traditional tools such as:

• Long bamboo nets
• Cone-shaped traps
• Large circular nets thrown with skill
• Basket traps hidden under phumdis
• Small hand nets used near the shore

These methods are sustainable and gentle, causing minimal harm to the ecosystem.

🤝 A Community Shaped by the Lake

Fishing is not done alone.
It creates a bond within the community — sharing boats, dividing the day’s catch, repairing nets together, and helping each other during storms or floods.

Festivals, songs, and rituals also reflect their connection to Loktak.
The lake is at the center of their cultural identity.

🌍 Challenges Faced Today

Despite their resilience, fishermen face modern challenges:

• shrinking phumdis
• water pollution
• reduced fish population
• climate changes affecting water levels

Yet, their spirit remains strong. They continue to find ways to protect both their livelihood and the lake they depend on.

💙 A Bond Worth Preserving

The fishermen of Loktak live in harmony with nature.
Their floating homes, their gentle fishing techniques, and their deep respect for the lake create a unique human–nature relationship that is rare in today’s world.

To understand Loktak Lake is to understand its people.
And their story is as important as the water, birds, and the Sangai that call this lake home.