Manipur News

IMPHAL, July 31: With incessant rain continuing nonstop in the State over the past couple of days, several areas have been flooded. Several organisations have also called for help from the government to the flood affected areas.

The Anal Lenruwl Taangpi, Imphal Branch has appealed to the government to provide all possible help to the flooded areas of Chandel district.

According to a release of the association, due to incessant rain for the past few days, houses and properties including livestock as well as standing agricultural crops have been destroyed and submerged in Chandel Head Quarter areas, Chakpikarong and Pallel areas.

Moreover, the people of Chakpikarong area are in panic as the Chakpi river is flowing above the danger level and the lone bridge of Chakpikarong connecting the area is in a dilapidated condition as it is detached from the mainland from both sides leaving the people to be in touch through phone only as there is no other means of communication, it said.

Meanwhile, the Popular Front of India, Manipur State has also appealed to the government to look into the flooded areas in the south such as Khangabok, Sangaiyumpham, Wangjing-Tentha, Sangaiyumpham Cherapur, Nungphou, etc. which has been affected by flood.

A press release of the party has said that appeal has been made to medical, veterinary, water suppliers to give aids to the flood affected areas as soon as possible.

Moreover, paddy fields are mostly destroyed and needs immediate aid. Paddy fields of Lilong A/C are also at the risk of being destroyed. The party has appealed to the government once again to provide necessary help on the issue. The party also appealed to take up preventive measures on the rivers as well, it said.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/07/appeals-for-aid-in-flooded-areas/

IMPHAL, July 31: Amid the reported leakages of the Thoubal Multi Purpose Dam, residents of the villages located in the immediate downstream area of the dam continue to take shelter outside their villages fearing an outburst of the water and flooding their villages.

Resident of Itham, Moirangpurel and Tumakhok villages had started evacuating their villages fearing the worst due to the reported leakages since July 23 and have been spending the night on trucks, waiting sheds and makeshift shelters.

Today a team of media persons accompanied volunteers of the Development Organisation Andro Kendra and visited the downstream villages including Tumukhok, Itham, Nongdam and Morangpurel.

The team found that villagers were staying on trucks, and some had scattered to higher places along the foothills. Villagers were also found taking shelter in some houses which were build on the hill slopes.

Interacting with the media team, a villager Y Thoiba said around 1614 villagers are presently staying in his camp at thangjing Pukhri Lamkhai relief camp. Most of the people are from Tumukhok Village, he continued.

Among those taking shelter there are several newly married women who had just settled in their husband`™s homes and pregnant women, he said. They have been shifted to their parental homes today, he continued.

There are also many children, he said.

The incessant rain has only compounded their problems, Thoiba said.

There are also some 300 villagers from Nongdam Tangkhul Village at the camp at present, he observed.

Tomba also observed that volunteers count the people staying in the camp everyday at around 8pm.

Although all these people had fled from their homes and staying in such hardship, there has been no help from the side of the State government, he observed.

He said recently the local MLA Th Shyamkumar had extended 100 bags of 50 kg rice, four bags of dal, one bag of onion and a tin of oil for them, while the Human Rights Initiative supplied 24 bags of rice to the people of Itham and Moirangpurel yesterday.

On being asked as to when the people will be returning to their homes, he said until and unless the leakages of the dam are filled and authorities concern repair the dam fully, the people are afraid to return home.

He continued, the people are afraid to trust just the assurances and guarantees of the officials as the leakage of the dam is a very dangerous issue.

Although the authorities have started releasing the dam water through two valves it is not enough to allay the fears of the people, he continued.

He observed, if by any chance the dam collapses the first impact would be with our villages not others.

The water released since some days back is not enough, although it had led to the flood in Thoubal, he continued.

Meanwhile, the team also Moirangpurel Government High School where around 500 villagers are taking shelter and the SDO office where around 1000 villagers are taking shelter.

All the villagers continue to wait for help from the authorities.

Meanwhile, it may be mentioned that the local MLA Th Shyamkumar had inspected the situation of the relief campers and shared their grievances.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/07/mapithel-dam-downstream-villagers-continue-to-live-in-fear-of-dam-collapse/

IMPHAL, July 31: Incessant rain since the past few days and the ever rising water level of the rivers in the State have been a cause of worry for the government with several areas getting flooded. Overflowing rivers have inundated nearby areas in several districts with the worst affected areas reported in Chandel and Thoubal districts.

A team of the ministers accompanied by officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control department inspected the flood affected areas of Thoubal district including Heirok, Chandrakhong and Sangai Yumpham today.

The ministers in the inspection team included Education minister Moirangthem Okendro Singh who is also the local MLA of Heirok constituency, Works and Transport minister Dr Kh Ratan Kumar Singh and IFC minister Ngamthang Haokip.

On reaching Wangjing, the team found the Wangjing bazaar stretch of the Imphal-Moreh highway submerged under water due to the incessant rain, while paddy fields in the area have been totally submerged under water making the area look like a vast lake.

Noting the condition of the Heirok Champra Bridge connecting Heirok Part I and Part II to be unstable and that it could collapse any moment, the officials have also blocked passage over the bridge for the time being.

Briefing media persons at the spot, minister Ratan said a bailey bridge will be erected near the old bridge as an immediate solution.

He elaborated the department has some parts for the bridge while the remaining parts will be procured at the earliest.

Ratan said the Champra bridge is an important bridge of the area and more important the Litan Bridge in Heirok Part II.

It may be mentioned that the RCC Litan Bridge in Heirok part II had collapsed yesterday.

The team also witnessed that the Chandrakhong Bridge in the district has also collapsed due to the strong water current.

At Heirok, the minister also assured to replace the bridge which collapsed yesterday as soon as the water level of the river recedes.

At many places including at Pallel, Sugnu, and in other parts of the valley districts rivers are flowing above the bridges.

Meanwhile, the concern minister has promised necessary relief camps at the earliest at flooded areas. The government, he said will also provide necessary items including food supplies at the earliest to the flood affected people.

Local schools and community halls will be utilised to open the relief centres, he continued.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/07/ministerial-team-inspects-flood-situation-in-thoubal-district-assures-relief-material/

IMPHAL, July 31: The Naga People`™s Front (NPF) Tamenglong refuting to the claim made by deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam that no one has stake claim to form ADCs for Tamenglong, termed the statement as blatant lie and an attempt to murder democracy.

According to Ashang Pamei, president NFP Tamenglong, stated that the NPF was taken by surprised that such leader would stoop so low and try to misguide the people.

Pamei clarified that the NPF with eight elected members and BJP with five members have formed the Democratic Alliance of Tamenglong and claim majority to form the ADC Tamenglong on at least three counts, on June 19 a week after the announcement of the election results on June 28 and on 13 July after the swearing in ceremony at Tamenglong.

Upon not meeting our request for inviting us to form the council, we had already resorted to a 24-hour total shut down in the hill districts on July 26-27 last and we are still waiting for the State government to take up the required steps, divulged Pamei.

It continued that at this juncture, Gaikhangam making such irresponsible remark is uncalled for and fits condemnation in the strongest term.

Moreover, we demanded to know why Gaikhangam after having wasted so much time dare to blame the majority alliance for the impasse, said the NPF president.

Is the deputy commissioner Tamenglong sleeping over our repeated claim of majority and subsequent stake claims we made to form the ADC Tamenglng, he questioned.

Should the State government continue to dilly delaying the council formation process, people will not remain silent anymore, he maintained adding that it appealed all the right thinking citizens to rise up to defend the constitution.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/07/npf-refutes-dy-cms-claim-that-no-one-has-claimed-stake-for-tamenglong-adc/