Manipur News

From Our Correspondent

UKHRUL | July 28

Ukhrul town has been hit by water scarcity following the recent cyclone Mora, which destroyed the main water sources at Shirui Hills. In this regard, the Committee for Scarcity of Water in Ukhrul Town (CFSWUT) has urged the state government to take up necessary steps at the earliest.

Highlighting the woes of the residents of the town in a press conference held today at UDWJA office, AS Vaomi, president of the said committee said that more than six thousand households residing in the town are currently reeling under severe shortage of drinking water ever since the cyclone swept off water reservoirs of the only water source at Shirui Hills last month.

PHED department is currently catering to around 1300 registered consumers in the town, apart from road side hydrants.

“As the pipeline water has been snapped, most households are now compelled to rely on rain water irrespective of its quality but then how long will they sustain”, he pointed out and added that once the dry season comes, the problem is bound to double up unless the water supply is restored at once.

“In view of the prevailing water crisis that has arisen due to failure on the part of the department to restore the pipeline water even after one month as anticipated, the Committee was instituted on July 20, comprising representatives of Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long (TNWL) and four zonal Longphangs of the district and is mandated to mount pressure on the government to end the crisis at once, “ Vaomi asserted.

He further informed that when the committee contacted the PHED Ukhrul division over the delay in restoration works, the department expressed their helplessness despite their best efforts as they were lacking both manpower and machinery for the restoration works.

Vaomi conveyed that the department was learnt to have proposed the government for sanctioning of Rs. 80 Lakhs for the repair of the damaged reservoirs and pipeline structures but no positive response has come forth till date.

“We are ready to provide manpower in our own capacity but the department needed technical skills for the works”, he continued.

At the same time, Vaomi disclosed that in connection with the current water crisis, a meeting of the committee was held on Thursday at TNWL office and unanimously resolved to take up tree plantation at the Shirui hillside in April of every year from 2018 onward so as to salvage the only water source of the town.

 “For this, we decided to ask the district administration to reserve Rs. 2 lakh and also to appeal to the villagers stop felling trees”, he said.

The meeting further resolved to check unauthorised tapping of pipeline water from the sources to households, and also to demand additional water reservoir in the town, and mobile water distribution to different localities to mitigate the situation, Vaomi said.

“On July 31, the committee is planning to do a spot survey at the water sources at Shirui Hills along with department”, he added.

IMPHAL | July 28

The Assembly today unanimously passed Rs. 14,039,299,000 for four demands. The demands were for land revenue, stamps & registration and district administration (Rs. 101,69,19,000), finance department (Rs. 12,75,92,38,000), state excise (Rs. 18,84,98,000) and sales tax, other taxes/duties on commodities and services (Rs.7,46,44,000).

Opposition leader O. Ibobi Singh, MLAs Th. Lokeshwar Singh, K. Meghachandra Singh, Kh. Joykishan Sigh and R.K. Imo Singh O. Lukhoi Singh, Y. Surchandra and Dr. Y. Radheshyam took part in the discussion.

Deputy chief minister, who is also in-charge of finance, Y. Joykumar Singh moved “The Manipur Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2017, education minister Th. Radheshyam Singh moved “The Manipur Private School (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2017 and also “The Manipur Coaching Institute (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2017” and the bills were passed.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

Takhelmayum (O) Shilla Devi, wife of late Takhelmayum Kenedy Singh asked the authority of Raj Medicity to produce the result of the sample send for lab test for H1N1 (swine flu) for her husband.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club, Imphal Shilla said that her husband was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science on July 20 due to cough and he was discharged on the same day.

On the next day he was admitted to Raj Medicity as he had breathing troubles during which Dr. Th. Joy diagnosed him as a strong suspected case of H1N1 and kept him in ICU and later transferred to isolation ward, she added.

Raj Medicity sent throat swab of the patient for examination of H1N1 to IDSP, medical directorate and asked to provide 20 numbers of personal protective equipment and 200 numbers of Tamiflu, continued Shilla.

“When I have a chat with my husband, he told me that the medicine only makes him more difficulty in breathing,” said Shilla.

She claimed that her husband was not given any medicine for the breathing problem and moreover the doctors and nurses treated him without much care.

On the morning of July 24, her husband was declared death by the hospital due to lung failure but on the next day it was found on Sangai newspaper that a suspected H1N1 patient died, she added.

Moreover, it was spread through social media that the cause of her husband’s death is swine flu though the testing result was not available till today, continued Shilla.

As a result the family stigmatised and members suffer from trauma, she added.

Shilla warned the government and Raj Medicity if any unwanted situation arises.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

The chief minister, N. Biren Singh today informed the House during question hour that police registered 147 FIRs relating to crimes against women and five FIRs relating to homicides. The chief minister was replying to Congress member K. Ranjit Singh.

Responding to a supplementary question on punishment of the accused persons Biren, who is also the minister in-charge of home, said most of the accused persons have been arrested. He assured that number of accused persons arrested will be provided in the House during the session.

“Police investigations are on. We have opened a fast tract court for dealing with crimes against women. The charge-sheets will be submitted as fast as possible.

He further said community policing has been introduced, past records of criminals are being compiled and CID and women police stations have been strengthened.

 

Japanese Encephalitis

Responding to another question from Ranjit the chief minister said altogether 36 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been detected from January 1 to July 15 this year. The cases are one in Imphal East, seven in Imphal West, four in Thoubal, one in Bishnupur, three in Chandel, 19 in Churachandpur and one in Senapati districts.

He further said measures have been taken to contain the outbreak of the disease under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

 

Package

Planning minister N. Biren Singh informed the House that the state government announced package of Rs. 201 crores for Ukhrul, Rs. 175 crores for Kangpokpi and Rs. 202 for Senapati for implementation of development projects in the hills. He was replying to Congress member K. Meghachandra.

He further said the packages were announced based on fund availability under various sources including centrally sponsored schemes etc. and development priorities.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

Dr N. Surajkumar assistant professor gastroenterology of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences today announced that the institute will start treating viral hepatitis patients free of cost on every Tuesday.

“The Tuesday liver clinic of JNIMS will treat 200 viral hepatitis patients free of cost. Out of 200, 100 will be reserved for BPL. It will be on first come first serve basis for the patients who come within August,” he said during the observance of World Hepatitis Day being at JNIMS auditorium.

Dr Surajkumar further said treatment will start shortly after getting ethical clearance certificate from the gastroenterology department within 10 days.

JNIMS’ Manipur Liver Foundation (MLF) and Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) organised the programme.

Surajkumar said the treatment cost is being sponsored by University of Maryland USA, Geliad Pharma and JNIMS.

K. Nolinikanta, president CoNE said viral hepatitis is one of the chronic diseases in the world. Globally 1.75 million people are infected newly by the disease while 1.4 million people died every year.

In India eight million people are infected by this disease. One reason for these is the lack of awareness among people that if viral hepatitis is detected early then it can be cured.

In Manipur CoNE screened 1678 people for Hepatitis C since 2014, out of that 788 people were found positive and CoNE had treated 64 patients for free till now, he said.

“Now this chronic disease can be cured by timely treatment and one can have a normal life span. More than seven thousand people are now living with hepatitis co-infected with HIV in Manipur. Maximum number of co-infected people are found at Churachandpur and Moreh,” said Th. Bimo, director JNIMS.

Delivering the keynote speech, Bimo said now the vaccination can stop vertical transmission of the disease from mother to child and now it is made available in the labour room.

Hepatitis is now one of the leading causes of death globally, therefore in order to raise awareness and to influence real change World Hepatitis Day are being observed on this day every year since 2011 and in Manipur it started in 2012.

This year the day is being observed on the theme “Eliminate Hepatitis.”

Dhanachandra, HoD department of medicine JNIMS and Dr L. Ranbir medical superintendent JNIMS attended the function as guest of honour and president of the function.

A poster on the theme was also released during the function.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

Chief minister N. Biren Singh today verbally indicated on the floor of the House that the situation in the state is not yet conducive to immediately lift disturbed area status from the whole of the state.

The chief minister was responding to a private member resolution moved by Thangmeiband MLA Kh. Joykishan urging the House to “unanimously resolve to urge the Government of India to lift the enforcement of AFSPA 1958 from the state of Manipur immediately”.

Biren said that repealing AFSPA is the utmost desire of the people of Manipur as well as the state government.

However, the decision to extend the disturbed area status in the state excluding the seven Assembly segments of Imphal Municipal area, for another year was taken by the state Cabinet on December 1, 2016, he said.

Biren said that the decision could have been taken based on various aspects like the proximity to border area and complexity of security of the entire state etc.

Given the circumstances, he observed that taking hasty decision at this point of time would not be a wise thing to do.

With the lifting of the disturbed area status a prerogative of the state government the decision could be reviewed after six months based on the prevailing situation of the state, he said.

However, Biren was of the view that there was no point of taking any immediate decision by the House if the Centre chooses to re-enforce the status like it did in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, and Nagaland.

Joykishan said the situation has improved comparatively except for some stray incidents in hill.

He insisted that he would only withdraw his resolution if the chief minister gives assurance on the floor of the House that the government will lift the disturb area status.

In response the chief minister said that any immediate action at the moment by the present government without carefully assessing the situation will not be proper.

“We are doing our best to keep the security forces in commanding position. Moreover, the Supreme Court is also taking serious note of the situation”, he said while stating that he will do the needful when the atmosphere is conducive.

The bill was later withdrawn.

Ningthoujam Prasant & Elangbam Nikita

IMPHAL| July 28

The Kombirei Environmental Development Organization, Yairalpat, fears that its fish reared at its farm won’t have the ability to meet its yearly yield. The 10-hectare farm is affected by the recent flood which left half of its fish got away into the close-by swamp and marshes.

The 12-member association has likewise presented a proposition to the Manipur environment department for financing the preservation of the Yairalpat. The farm raises fish like silver carp, mrigal, grass carp, common carp and rohu.

“It is disappointing that we are not going to achieve our target this time. We were hoping to harvest fish weighing around 10 kgs each and additionally, we have included young fish for around Rs. 5 lakhs. It appears that our hoped has been washed away by the flood.” said a caretaker of the farm.

He said all possible efforts have been made to prevent the fish from escaping the farm from the incessant rain but all went in vain when the fences on the banks of the farm collapsed. Yet, many people have been fishing the escaped fish in the nearby swamps, he added. The caretaker claimed that the estimated amount of loss can be around Rs. 10 lakhs.

Apart from it, the harvesting, which lasts for one month or more, is done during January especially for Emoinu Numit and fish are sold at the farm itself for Rs. 70,000 to 1 Lakh per day, claimed the caretaker.

He also said, “The silver carp of this farm is of high demand which is different from those available in the market because of its unique taste. Many people throng the farm during the time of harvest and all their demands cannot be fulfilled and also, the harvested fish never make it to the market. But this time it will be difficult to meet demand because of the current loss.”

He said if the government and related department provide financial assistance then, the demand for fish on Emoinu day, next year, can be met.

The 5-year-old farm of Kombirei Environmental Development Organisation, Yairalpat adopts composite fish culture in which more than one type of compatible fish is cultured simultaneously. Fish are reared usually from June. Young fish are specially reared in a nursery pond and later, transferred into a rearing pond when it reaches a certain weight.

The recent incessant rainfall has inundated various farmlands in different parts of Manipur. Although the water level has decreased, the outcome of the flood has caused troubles to the farmers.