A massive eviction drive carried out early this morning at Moibung Khunou, under Sekmai Police Station in Imphal West district, has left villagers grappling with severe hardships after key community facilities, including a community hall, crematorium, public toilet and a community well, were demolished.
According to local residents, a large number of state and central security personnel, led by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Lamsang, arrived at the site around 2:00 am. The eviction began at about 3:30 am with the use of multiple excavators. Womenfolk of the village, who had been staging protests against the eviction, attempted to resist but were reportedly overpowered and dispersed by the security forces.
This was the second attempt to carry out the eviction after a similar drive on September 27 had to be aborted following strong resistance from the women protesters.
The eviction was conducted in compliance with an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Imphal West, Mayanglambam Rajkumar Singh, on September 19. The order called for the removal of encroachments along the Hundung River (Dag No. 3202) and Salan River (Dag No. 3171) under Khurukhul Revenue Village, based on reports highlighting major deviations in the river courses caused by illegal constructions. The inquiry found that the width of the Hundung River had been reduced from its original 60 feet to about 15–20 feet, while the Salan River had nearly disappeared. Structures including a community hall and crematorium were identified within the riverbed.
Officials recommended immediate restoration of the rivers to their original courses, eviction of all encroachers, and maintaining a minimum width of 6 metres for the Hundung River.
However, villagers of Moibung Khunou expressed anguish, stating that the demolished structures were essential public utilities, not encroachments. “The community well was our only source of drinking water, and the crematorium was the only facility for performing last rites in the village,” said a local resident. “Now we have nowhere to fetch water or cremate our dead.”
The villagers also questioned the classification of their facilities as encroachments, asserting that they had been serving the community for years without obstructing the river.
With the eviction completed, residents are now left in distress, facing immediate challenges over water supply and funeral arrangements, while authorities maintain that restoring the natural river courses is essential for flood control and environmental preservation.