Champu Khangpok: A floating village

This newspaper article caught my eye:

Fishermen in India's only natural floating village in Manipur to get ID cards

The article is about how the fisherfolk of the Champu Khangpok village will get identity cards so that they can benefit from government schemes. 

This is not an ordinary village. It's floating on water! The extraordinary nature of this habitation led me to read up more on it.

Champu Khangpok villagers. (Pic X/@LDA_Manipur)

UNIQUE FOUNDATION

The houses are built on phumdis or floating biomass formations. 

They are primarily constructed from bamboo, aquatic vegetation, and plastic sheets, ensuring they remain lightweight yet resilient. 

To strengthen the phumdis, additional biomass is periodically added underneath the huts. Wooden planks are often used to create pathways for safe movement across wet and uneven surfaces. 

The phumdis, which can be as thick as two metres, are stable enough to support structures and provide buoyancy to the village, allowing it to float seamlessly on the lake's surface.

This village has around 100 huts and 400 people. This is just a ballpark figure since there doesn't seem to be an official record.

CHALLENGES

Although phumdis provide a stable base for the houses, the floating village faces several challenges.

Environmental factors, such as strong winds and changing water levels, can shift large masses of phumdi, occasionally disrupting the community. For example, there was an instance when extreme weather events trapped some villagers. That just demonstrated the vulnerability of these structures to climate variations.

To counter these challenges, residents have figured a way out -- they switched to traditional construction techniques and maintenance practices. 

They also began using bamboo and stones to prevent the huts from drifting. The flexible nature of bamboo structures allowed them to withstand the movement of water and wind. 

DAILY LIFE

The villagers' main source of income is fishing. Men typically fish, while women transport and sell the catch in local markets. 

It's amazing how, for generations, the residents have coexisted with the uniquely rich biodiversity and resources of Loktak Lake. A remarkable example of harmony with nature.

December reflections

Another year is winding down, and we are in the final stretch of 2024. In just a couple of weeks, this year will be over.

December always feels like the world hits the pause button. The usual hustle and bustle slows to a relaxed rhythm. Offices are quiet, with many employees away on vacation. People are travelling to spend time with family and friends, and life takes on a cosier vibe.

This is also the season of celebrations. Christmas and New Year’s Eve dominate the month. Everywhere you look, from stores to streets (especially in Bengaluru’s Central Business District), there’s a festive sparkle. Soon, carols will fill the air, holiday lights will glow, and Secret Santa gifts will be exchanged.

December is more than just festivities, though. It’s a time for reflection — to look back at the year gone by and think about what lies ahead. It’s a chance to be grateful, forgive, and set goals. It’s also the perfect time to unwind, recharge, and gear up for the new year.

WORK AS USUAL

That said, December doesn’t feel all that different for me. Work continues as usual, maybe even busier than other months because of reduced staff. Not everyone can take leave at the same time, after all.

Sometimes, though, December brings major news events that make it busier.

December 31, 1999, for instance. Remember the Y2K bug? Everyone was worried that computers worldwide would crash because they weren’t programmed to handle the switch from 1999 to 2000. Software engineers worked around the clock to prevent chaos. Thankfully, the world entered the new millennium without disaster.

December 24, 1999, was another when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked. The plane landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Christmas Day, and the crisis dragged on until New Year’s Eve. The Indian government had to negotiate with the hijackers and release prisoners to secure the hostages’ freedom. It was a tense, heartbreaking time — one passenger lost her life, and many were injured. Those days were really anxiety-ridden days for everyone following the news.

Another unforgettable moment was December 26, 2004, when a massive tsunami struck the coasts of South Asia following an earthquake near Sumatra. It was devastating, claiming around 228,000 lives across 15 countries. For journalists, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation, with many being called back from holidays to cover the tragedy.

A BIT DIFFERENT THIS TIME

For the first time in a while, I have something big to look forward to in the New Year. In April 2025, I’ll be retiring after 36 and a half years of work. It’s a milestone that feels both exciting and bittersweet. I’ll still keep writing and editing — it’s my passion, after all — but I won’t be clocking in as part of a formal job anymore.

As I look ahead, I feel a mix of nostalgia and anticipation. The journey so far has been rewarding, with its share of challenges and triumphs. 

Retirement will undoubtedly mark a new chapter, one where I can live life at a slower pace, explore new interests, and devote more time to the things I’ve always loved to do but never got the time.

Writing, connecting with this wonderful blogging community, and exploring others’ stories will be at the heart of it all. 

Here’s to savouring the present, cherishing the past, and stepping into the future with hope and excitement. Let’s make the most of what lies ahead, one day at a time!

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I am not sure if you have noticed a couple of changes in the email notifications of comments on Google's Blogger platform. It's a minor change, but it impacts the way the author of a blog post replies to comments.

Notifications of comments of bloggers who had provided their email ID on their profile page used to land in the Primary of tab of my Gmail. These had in the "From" field the email ID of the commenter. 

Notifications of comments of bloggers who hadn't made public their email ID used to land in the Social tab of my Gmail. In the "From" field, instead of the email ID of the commenter, it was <noreply-comment@blogger.com>.

THE FIRST CHANGE 

About a fortnight back, I sensed something was wrong when I found that all the email notifications were landing in the Social tab and none in the Primary tab. 

When I checked carefully, I noticed that Google had removed the email ID from the notification of even commenters who had made public their email ID and replaced it with <noreply-comment@blogger.com>.

The immediate consequence was I could no longer email directly my reply to the commenter. Instead, I had to post the comment on my blog.

Actually, I never knew I could email my reply directly to a commenter until I noticed it on Liz A's blog, Laws of Gravity. 

I realised it was simpler and switched to this method by providing my email ID on the profile page. Ever since I have found this quite a convenient way of interacting with the comments on my blog.

I found the change that Google had effected quite strange and wondered what could have been the trigger.

WHY THE CHANGE

When I went to the Help page, I found that one of the bloggers, Linda, had already flagged this change.

It seems Blogger is now sending my blog's comments via email notifications as no-reply via blogger.com  I used to be able to reply to my commenters through email.  Now, they are all coming in as no-reply.  They do have their email address in their Blogger profiles.

To this, a Google employee, Jonn, replied:

This was an intentional change made for privacy reasons, as there is no verification process for public contact emails on Blogger.

That's a fair observation by Google, but it didn't make sense since the commenters themselves have made public their email ID on the profile. There is no need for a verification process since no one other than the blogger can make their email ID visible on the profile page.

THE SECOND CHANGE

However, Google took note of the point made by Linda and modified the original change. Jonn's reply continued:

That being said, after hearing your feedback I am adding a new (very similar) feature which will set a "reply to" address in the email, so that when you reply to the email it will send it to the commenting user's contact email address.

Incidentally, the restoration of the option for the blogger to email the commenter directly is not easily visible.  

One has to click the drop-down arrow to see: 

from: Name <noreply-comment@blogger.com>

reply-to: Name <email ID>

BLOGGERS UNAWARE

This might have been a small change, but it did impact the way bloggers interacted with commenters. Google should have notified bloggers about these changes. 

However, I am glad that Google listened to the feedback and quickly restored the status quo, albeit with some modifications.