Special Correspondent
Ukhrul August 9:
The Minor Irrigation (MI) Sub-division IV office in Ukhrul, tasked with overseeing crucial water management and canal projects for the hill district, is in a state of near-total collapse—functioning “as good as non-existent” for decades due to crippling manpower shortages, lack of resources, and systemic neglect.
A recent on-site investigation by this journalist at the Phungreitang-based office—right in the heart of Ukhrul district headquarters—revealed a scene more reminiscent of an abandoned property than a vital government department. The six-room building, established over three decades ago, stood in a ramshackle condition, gathering dust and showing no signs of regular activity. Peeling walls, broken fittings, and an atmosphere of neglect painted a damning picture of official apathy.
Inside, the only person present was a Lower Division Clerk (LDC), seemingly relegated to little more than guarding the dilapidated structure. Reliable sources confirmed that the office currently operates with a skeletal team of just four—an Assistant Engineer (AE), a Section Officer (SO), a road mohori, and the LDC. No replacements have been appointed for retired staff, causing a severe shortage that has crippled operations.
The dysfunction became glaring when a visitor from Teinem village arrived to submit a project proposal for a canal construction. His attempt ended in frustration—he discovered that the AE is not permanently stationed in Ukhrul, making only occasional visits, forcing locals to wait indefinitely or travel to Imphal for follow-ups.
“I don’t even know where to submit my proposal now,” the villager lamented, expressing anger over the department’s failure to serve the farming communities who rely heavily on irrigation support. “This office is supposed to help farmers, but it’s as if it doesn’t exist.”
Investigations further revealed that most file processing and final approvals are conducted in Imphal, sidelining the Ukhrul office’s role entirely. This centralisation not only delays projects but has resulted in MI schemes rarely reaching the rural poor they are intended for. The lack of accountability and transparency, coupled with chronic absenteeism, has turned the department into a paper tiger.
For a region where agriculture is the lifeline and irrigation is essential to sustain livelihoods, the MI Sub-division IV’s collapse is more than administrative negligence—it is a direct betrayal of the hill farmers’ trust. Without urgent intervention, vital irrigation projects will continue to stagnate, leaving Ukhrul’s agrarian economy to dry up.
The question remains: how long will the government turn a blind eye to a department that exists only in name, while the farmers it was meant to serve struggle in silence?