IT News
Imphal, Mar 14:
The project to rescue Lamphelpat, costing 650 crore, aimed at excavating marshes and clearing mud, has led to concerns that parts of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur campus will submerge, prompting discussions on the management of organic waste and coordination with the Water Resources department.
The endeavour to rescue Lamphelpat, boasting a budget of 650 crores, aims to undertake excavation of the marshes and deal with the accumulated mud sees improvement in the restoration of the water body at Lamphelpat. Environmentalists were happy with this endeavour. However, this undertaking has affected the National Institute of Technology Manipur, sparking apprehension regarding the potential submersion of the NIT campus and repercussions on Shija Hospital.
While the execution of the project’s initial phase was ongoing, on March 12, around 10:30 pm, a road spanning approximately 200 feet in front of the administration block within the campus inexplicably sank, with the affected area reaching depths of 12-15 feet. This unforeseen incident also resulted in the collapse of a section of the wall. While the precise cause remains unknown, speculation has arisen that the extraction of mud from the lake may have triggered the surrounding area’s submersion.
Furthermore, the relocation of mud from the marshes to the grounds and fields inside NIT has rendered many of them unusable, despite the project’s provisions for designated mud dumping pits. Moreover, it should also be noted that Hostel Number 3 succumbed to flooding during recent rainfall, leading to the cancellation of classes.
To address these concerns, a high-level meeting of NIT officials was convened to deliberate on the management of the organic waste accumulating on the campus as a result of the project. It was discussed that without a formal memorandum of understanding with NIT regarding the management of this organic waste, the project’s support from NIT would be withheld. Additionally, NIT officials expressed a desire to initiate discussions with the Water Resources Department, responsible for the project, by providing them with comprehensive reports on soil testing and actively seeking out suitable locations for the disposal of organic waste.
