JOIN USChadong village, inhabited by the Thunkul Nagas in Ukhrul district of Manipur has been submerged for almost a month by the waters of the Mapithel dam of the Thoubal Multipurpose Project.
After repeated attempts of the villagers to pursue the Manipur government to handle the artificial flood around the village failed to draw a solution to the crisis, the United Naga Council (UNC), the powerful apex body of the Nagas living in Manipur has sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately take action and save the submerged village.
In its memorandum, UNC has urged Modi to set up an expert committee to review the project and also immediately ask the Okram Ibobi Singh-led Manipur government to open the diversion channel of the dam that is now closed to release the rising waters. If its demands are not met, the UNC plans to launch a major anti-dam stir in Manipur, sources added.
Meanwhile in Chadong village, life is a mess for the villagers, they are dependent on canoes for transportation. Almost a month back, the water level had been alarmingly rising leaving the village bridge completely inundated. It was in 1993 that the Chadong villagers signed an agreement with the Manipur government that they will allow the dam to operate and they would be given complete compensation. However, 800 villagers till date are yet to receive full compensation.
The state government was supposed to ensure fair compensation and rehabilitation to the dam-affected villagers through the appointment of an expert review committee, which was meant to develop a state rehabilitation and resettlement policy.
The Mapithel dam was approved by the Centre way back in 1980 and the constructions started in 1989.The dam would submerge about 1,215 hectares of land. The river water was supposed to be used for power generation and downstream irrigation.
Even though the project lacks the mandatory forest clearance, and a case on the same issue is pending at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the local villagers say that the Manipur government started operating the dam from last February.
With the onset of the monsoon, water level in the area has increased and large chunk of agricultural lands have been submerged, leaving the villagers homeless.
DH News Service