Throttling Imphal city
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 14, 2014 -

Mongba Hanba Forest or Mahabali Umang :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

Not just a hasty but a very insensitive decision that would throttle already populated Imphal city.

In one sentence, this is what we feel about the decision of the State administration to clear away the Mongba Hanba Forest or Mahabali Umang, which is located on the eastern embankment of Imphal River in the heart of the capital city, for construction of a diversion bridge for Sanjenthong.

Considering the problems face by the people after the closure of Sanjenthong, which is under construction for upgradation into a new four-lane bridge, anyone would be happy to hear that the State administration has finally come to its senses on the need for putting in place a diversion bridge to connect Imphal East and Imphal West district.

And, in fact, this is what the people have been demanding the State administration after it went ahead with the sudden decision to pull down the historic Sanjenthong, which, of course, was not keeping in tune with the changing time, to pave away for construction of a new four-lane bridge.

But clearing away the only forested area in the heart of the capital city, which is not just a historically important sacred and protected site but also the only existing green pocket of Imphal, for construction of a diversion bridge is the least one could have expected from the State administration, howsoever, insensitive it may have been on numerous occasions in the past.

Understandably, people of the area have raised a revolt against clearing away Mongba Hanba Forest or Mahabali Umang, which is supposedly being carried out following a directive given by the Governor of the State for construction of a diversion bridge until completion of a new Sanjenthong bridge.

Apart from stopping the labourers engaged for the work from clearing the forest area any further, an organisation christened as Mahabali Umang Kanba Lup been floated during a meeting convened by Mahabali Seva Samiti on Friday for taking up necessary steps to stop the State administration from going ahead with its decision of wiping out the sacred forest site.

In other words, the stage has set once again for another round of showdown between the people and the State administration, which could have been avoided if the latter had been little more sensitive at the time of taking its decision in the name of developmental works.

The insensitivity of the State administration does not end here.

Apart from not giving prior information to the public regarding the decision and the sudden demolition of the boundary wall of the sacred forest site, the move of the State administration has belittled its own efforts towards conserving the ever shrinking forest and other green covers to combat the onslaught of climate change.

So, it would be wiser on the part of the State administration to do a rethink on its hasty and insensitive decision of throttling Imphal city and do any more damage. Period.