Our Correspondent
Imphal, Dec. 21 (EMN): Manipur’s Water Resources Minister Letpao Haokip has assured that the state’s government has been planning to take up necessary measures to tackle the sliding, depression and sinking of river banks of Sugunu and Kumbi constituencies; the measures are expected to be prior to monsoon next year.
Informing that repairing the breached river banks or checking the sinking areas are the duty of the water resources department, Minister Letpao, said the department will do its best. He was replying to a question on the second day of the assembly session. He was responding to a question on the issue of ‘breaching and sliding’ rivers banks in Sugnu and Kumbi constituencies in Manipur’s Bishnupur and Kakching districts when water gates of Ithai barrage are opened to release excess water during monsoon. The question was raised by Kumbi MLA S Bira during the question and answer session of the assembly on Thur.
“Though the humans cannot completely prevent the natural calamities, the department will try to take maximum steps to tackle it,” Letpao said.
Ithai barrage is a 35-feet high dam across Manipur River and a major component of Loktak Multipurpose Project which was taken up in 1983 to provide regulated storage to generate power and lift irrigation, maintained the water level of Loktak Lake at a constant level of 768.9 metre throughout the year.
As a result, it not only adversely affected huge agriculture and settlement areas on the periphery of the lake, but also changed the entire hydrology of Loktak.
Considering the public’s demand, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had even urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Loktak multipurpose project and Ithai barrage for a permanent solution to the frequent floods in the state.
Manipur has witnessed floods five times since Cyclone Mora hit the state as the year received unpredicted rain across the state round the year. It claimed 20 lives and affected nearly 85,226 hectares of agriculture land, 16,968 hectares of fish farms, 19095 houses, 421 government infrastructure including 128 schools, 43 bridges and 35 market sheds, according to official reports.
