Imphal, June 16: The Maoist Communist Party, Manipur has put the blame for the frequent flash floods in the state on the destructive anti-people policies of the government over a period of time.
In a press release issued yesterday, the MCP said the situation is man-made and caused after the traditional drainage system in existence were disrupted due to unplanned development activities, illegal encroachment, continuous destruction of wetlands arising from corporate greed.
It said, one of the main reasons for this disaster is the closure of the flood gates of Ithai Dam in order
to maintain optimum water level for the Loktak Hydel Electric Project owned by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Ithai Dam has affected the lives, livelihood and economy of the people in the most adverse manner…Mapithel Dam has displaced thousands of people while creating irreparable ecological disaster, the MCP asserted claiming that the dam has no direct benefit to the local people but has benefitted private companies, contractors, bureaucrats and politicians who have worked in collusion to loot the construction and compensation money. In the similar way, the Loktak Project has submerged and destroyed over 80,000 hectares of the most fertile cultivable land of Manipur where double cropping was being practiced and in a scenario where the state had not lost the vast cultivable land it could have been self-sufficient in production of rice, the noted stated.
Today, in order to cover up the root cause of more frequent flash floods due to inundation by Ithai Dam, several NGOs have been sponsored by the state to participate in unproductive afforestation programmes.
The natural drainage of rivers in Manipur at Loktak is blocked by Ithai Dam and in such time of crisis being faced by the people we need to introspect what Mapithel Dam, Khuga Dam, Dolaithabi Dam, etc have brought for the people of Manipur, the MCP proposed in the press note.
The organization urged the people to consider the scenario that if Ithai Dam had released the impounded water on time, the recent flash floods could have been averted.
“The people need to question the nature and ramifications of so called ‘developmental’ projects and activities of the state and understand if these are mere cosmetic terminologies to advance the interests of the few against the collective interest of the people of Manipur,” it added while making a general appeal to the public to stand up collectively against the construction of dams and destructive projects.