As part of its ongoing initiative to protect and rejuvenate rivers across Manipur, the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur, in collaboration with local communities and key stakeholders, organised a Save River Campaign under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 – Special Campaign 5.0 on Thursday at the Nambul Riverfront Garden, Keishamthong, Imphal.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness on the importance of river conservation and to encourage community participation in maintaining clean and sustainable waterways. Dr. Likmabam Sanjoy, Assistant Professor at D.M. University, delivered a keynote talk highlighting the urgent need to protect the state’s rivers from pollution, encroachment, and neglect. The campaign, which forms part of the Swachhata Hi Seva initiative that began on October 2 and concludes on October 31, focused particularly on safeguarding the Imphal and Nambul rivers.
The event was jointly organised by the Nambul River Development Committee, Saba Janmasthan, Sana Janmasthaan Club, and Sana Janmasthaan Nupi Apunba Lup, under the initiative of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change. Volunteers from the Nambul River Development Organisation (NRDC), Nambul Kanba Lup (Wards 11 & 12), and the Nambul River Protection Committee actively participated in the drive.
Director Dr. T. Brajakumar of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Executive Engineer Sakket Kumar of NEID Silchar, NRDC President Th. Gopimohon, and Sana Janmasthaan Club President Th. Mahendra Pratap were present at the occasion. The gathering reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the Nambul River and other water bodies from pollution, illegal encroachment, and unchecked waste disposal.
Earlier, similar river protection campaigns were conducted on September 22 and 24 at Lairikyengbam Leikai Lamlong Bridge in Imphal East and the Iroishemba–Irong area in Imphal West, in collaboration with the Nambul River Protection Committee. Those drives involved local residents and volunteers who undertook cleanliness and awareness activities along the riverbanks.
Once listed among the most polluted rivers in the region, the Nambul River has witnessed gradual improvement following the commissioning of a sewage treatment plant under the Nambul River Rejuvenation Programme at Heirangoithong Maibam Leikai in Imphal West district.
With Manipur’s rivers continuing to face increasing pressure from human activities, the ongoing campaigns aim to renew collective responsibility and remind citizens of the rivers’ crucial role in sustaining the state’s ecology, culture, and economy. Development Officer Thounaojam Alexander of the Directorate of Environment also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the department’s efforts to promote environmental awareness through schools, colleges, and media platforms.