IT Exclusive
While the Government of Manipur is undertaking the Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project with the stated objective of restoring the waterbody and improving the area’s drainage system, government land along Mary Kom Road, formerly known as National Games Village Road in Lamphelpat, is witnessing encroachment, with land-filling activities and the emergence of commercial establishments, including cafes.
The developments raise serious questions about the protection of government land and the preservation of the existing canal at a time when the government is investing in the rejuvenation of Lamphelpat. More significantly, the locations where these activities are taking place are within approximately one kilometre of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Imphal West.
For decades, the roadside stretches along Mary Kom Road remained vacant. A canal running alongside the road has also been a longstanding feature of the locality. Residents have used the canal for fishing for decades, making it part of the area’s longstanding community and environmental landscape.
Longstanding canal and vacant roadside stretches along Mary Kom Road face changes as land encroachers begin filling the canal and its banks, while commercial activities emerge within a one-kilometre radius of the district administration’s headquarters.
However, the situation is changing. Land filling has begun along certain stretches of the canal and its banks, while commercial activities, including the establishment of cafes, have started emerging along the roadside. The gradual occupation and commercial use of these spaces raise serious concerns over the encroachment of government land and the conversion of public spaces into commercial premises without proper authorisation.
During a visit to the area where such encroachment activities are taking place, Imphal Times journalist found that portions of the canal running alongside Mary Kom Road were being filled, while parts of its banks were also being occupied. While some individuals have started opening cafes, others have begun constructing structures resembling shops. The journalist also noticed a signboard bearing the name “Kombirei Dairy and Duckery Society” erected on one of the encroached sites.
The issue goes beyond the appearance of new cafes or the changing use of vacant roadside spaces. The canal and its surrounding area deserve particular attention, especially in view of the government’s ongoing efforts to rejuvenate Lamphelpat. The Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project is intended to improve the waterbody’s capacity to retain rainwater and strengthen the drainage system in the surrounding catchment area.
Any encroachment affecting the canal, its banks or connected drainage channels could potentially undermine the broader objectives of waterbody conservation, water retention and flood mitigation.
The proximity of the encroachments to the Imphal West Deputy Commissioner’s Office makes the matter even more pressing. When government land is being occupied and commercial activities are emerging within such a short distance of the district administration’s headquarters, questions naturally arise over the monitoring of public land and the action taken by the authorities concerned.
Another aspect that deserves attention is the apparent silence of government employees residing in government-provided quarters at the National Games Village. Mary Kom Road serves as an important access road to these residential quarters, and the employees regularly pass through the very area where government land is being encroached upon, and the longstanding canal is being filled.
As government employees, they have a responsibility to uphold public property and raise concerns when government assets are being unlawfully occupied or damaged. Rather than remaining silent spectators, they should be among those taking the initiative to bring such activities to the attention of the authorities and demand appropriate action. Their apparent silence, despite the developments taking place in their immediate neighbourhood, raises questions about the sense of responsibility towards protecting public assets.
The Deputy Commissioner, Imphal West and the Land Resources Department need to clarify the status of the affected canal and surrounding government land. The public also deserves to know whether any permission or allotment has been granted for the land filling and commercial establishments, whether the authorities have conducted an inspection, and what steps have been taken to prevent further encroachment.
The government cannot limit its response to preventing further encroachment. All structures erected on the encroached government land, along with the soil and other materials dumped into the canal and on its banks, must be removed, and the affected stretches restored to their original condition. The canal must be restored to its previous width, depth and drainage capacity so that its natural flow and longstanding public use are not compromised.
The expenses incurred in removing the unauthorised structures, clearing the filled materials and restoring the canal and its banks should be recovered from the individuals responsible for the encroachment. The authorities should also initiate appropriate legal proceedings, including registration of FIRs wherever cognisable offences are disclosed, against those responsible. Recovery of restoration expenses should be pursued through the appropriate legal process, and those responsible must not be allowed to escape financial accountability.
The central question remains: How is government land being encroached upon and converted into commercial spaces in such close proximity to the district administration’s office, while the government is simultaneously undertaking a major waterbody rejuvenation project in Lamphelpat?
