With the laudable distinction of being one of only four states in the country to have achieved the target of constructing a specified length of roads for each states among 30 states of India where PMGSY is implemented for 2015-16, Manipur can be considered the forerunner amongst the North Eastern states to have successfully implemented the scheme, the other three states being Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The achievement is no mean feat taking into consideration the volatile and disruptive law and order situation and tensive social atmosphere. It also means that communication and interaction between hitherto difficult and inaccessible places can be reached and explored with greater ease and comfort. This is a vital development in bridging the sense of alienation and indifference being felt by people living in the hills and will definitely help in fostering understanding and appreciation of the different customs, cultures and traditions which are the defining features of the many communities in the state.
But to sit back and rest on the laurel, however tempting it may sound, would be a fatal mistake. With increased connectivity comes the inevitable increase in vehicular traffic and the resulting congestion. It would not be an overstatement to say that the problem of traffic congestions in the state has become unmanageable, especially due to the lack of a planned approach to traffic management. The problem is compounded by the fact that the traffic lights being set up at important junctions has not been utilized and are causing to be more of a hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic. Most of the busy intersections are being undermanned, and the absence of dedicated parking spaces at strategic locations around the city markets is proving to be a nightmare for motorists. Total failure of public transport system by the state government reflects its indifferent and ignorant attitude towards the increasingly worsening problem as also the inability to effectively administer its departments. There are more than enough laws to tackle traffic nuisances and violators, but the lack of implementation and enforcement has failed to deter defaulters and violators. Traffic cops turning the other way from the defaulters for a “tea and water” consideration is an ubiquitous sight around the capital, and despite complaints and reports of such misdeeds, the state has not been able to rectify its own employees, consequently putting the health and life of other commuters in peril.
One of the most effective and perhaps the best step the government could take up to ease the problem would be to develop cycle lanes along the wider roads along with dedicated parking slots with railings to secure the cycles. Initiatives to encourage cycling can be taken up which could include rebates or reimbursements on purchase of cycles. Certainly nobody would want the state to have a clogged and congested city, not to mention the pollution, even if it is certain to become a smart one.
