IT News
Imphal, Sept 9:
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur is set to relocate from its current flood-prone campus in Lamphel to a new site in Kakching Wairi, Kakching district. The Government of Manipur has allotted 7.65 acres of land for the institute’s new campus. However, the land in question is currently agricultural, with farmers actively cultivating the area.
Director settlement officers have asked farmers working on the land to produce the “dag chittha,” a land ownership record, prompting concerns over the potential displacement of agricultural activities. Farmers in the region are reportedly worried about losing fertile land that has supported their livelihoods for generations.
The decision to shift NIT Manipur comes in the wake of severe flooding at the existing Lamphel campus. Continuous rains and flooding in recent months have rendered parts of the institute unusable, with laboratories, hostels, and classrooms inundated with water. The flooding is exacerbated by mudslides caused by the Lamphel Pat Wetland Preservation Project, which has led to waterlogging and damage to the campus infrastructure.
The recurring flooding has severely affected the academic environment for students, disrupting classes and research activities. Hostels and laboratories, crucial for technical education, have been compromised, leading to concerns over the academic performance and future of NIT students.
A final-year engineering student shared, “Our laboratory experiments are frequently canceled due to the waterlogging, and online classes don’t compensate for the hands-on learning we need. This has been extremely frustrating, especially for those of us nearing graduation.”
With academic schedules thrown into disarray, students fear that the lack of proper facilities will jeopardize their future career prospects. Practical sessions, which are vital for engineering students, have been frequently delayed or canceled, raising concerns about the quality of education and degree completion timelines.
Despite the move to Kakching Wairi, concerns over the land’s agricultural use and the timeline for construction have not been fully addressed by authorities. While the relocation is seen as a solution to the immediate flooding issue, there are still questions about how soon the new campus will be operational and whether it will be able to accommodate the needs of over 1,000 students.
