Swachch Bharat mission confined to Khwairamband Keithel : Lamphel area becoming a disease den
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 30 2017: There is growing concern that the State Government and the Imphal Municipal Corporation, in their drive to clean Khwairamband Keithel, have totally neglected other areas that also need proper supervision, like Lamphel supermarket areas and the surrounding area of RIMS, where garbage and filth are piling up unchecked and could possibly become disease dens .

On the other hand, there is a real possibility that the area near Lamphel supermarket provided by the State Government for the street vendors of Khwairamband Keithel, may fall under the control of illegal encroachers, as the authority concerned has failed to check the illegal structures built in the area by encroachers .

The condition of the three Khwairamband Keithels have drastically improved due to the tireless effort to keep the area clean and tidy, under the supervision of MAHUD Minister Th Shyamkumar, but other important areas and locations covered by the Imphal Municipal Corporation, a little distance away from the keithel, bear little to no similarities and seemed to have been forgotten by the authorities .

Swachch Bharat mission confined to Khwairamband Keithel : Lamphel area becoming a disease den

The Lamphel supermarket area and its surrounding localities are littered with garbage and waste.

One can see the place littered with plastic bags and other waste items discarded by the people settled in the area.

On the other hand, constant neglect by the authority concerned to remove the said garbage and filth, has led many to fear the possible outbreak of various diseases and illness due to the unhygienic condition of the place .

According to some of the locals, the area is polluted not only by the locals but also garbage trucks from other areas which usually come and dump their waste at the area .

They expressed concern about the health of those living in the surrounding area as the authority concerned and the State Government have not taken up any steps to clean, remove or discard the garbage and waste products .

On the other hand, the huge pile of waste and garbage around RIMS has caused immense inconveniences to the people .

The situation is the same in front of JNIMS hostel at Porompat .

Even though the Central Government and the State Government are taking up various measures to keep cities and the surrounding areas clean, under programmes such Swachhta Pakhwada, the deplorable condition of various areas in and around Imphal city raises a cloud of doubt regarding the effectiveness and impact of such programmes .

Even though many NGOs are taking up the task of cleaning parts of the city under the supervision of IMC, there have been no such ventures in the aforementioned locations .

According to an official source, apart from the Councillors of the 27 wards under the IMC, each ward has 2/2 ward members and respective Ward Development Committees and the State Government is even shelling out all the expenses including the costs of the ward development committee office buildings .

Moreover, the State Government sanctions around Rs 50 lakh per year for each ward in connection with all the developmental projects, schemes and works .

The deplorable condition of the city and its areas, despite the ample funds and support from the Government's side, raises some questions regarding the nature of the IMC, Councillors and the Ward Members .

The source pointed out that it is high time for the IMC and the Manipur Pollution Control Board to take up necessary actions regarding the issue .

On the other hand, the areas around Lamphel supermarket, which had been partially constructed as a market shed for the street vendors from Khwairamband Keithel, has slowly been filling up with structures built by illegal encroachers .

Even though the area is Government's land, it was transferred to the PDA for a scheme sometime back.

The structures which were built on the area, were shifted after proper compensation by PDA and the area had been reserved for the street vendors and as parking space .

However, today, the illegal and private structures are mushrooming at the place unchecked.

Some of these structures are reportedly even paying monthly commission/ rent to powerful and well connected people .

According to another source, the IMC has not taken up any step to verify the street vendors of Khwairamband Keithel and shift them to the area near Lamphel supermarket, despite the instruction to do so by the State Government.