Post Ops Summer Storm: Apunba Lup to study economic losses
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 27 2009: To get a bird's eye view of the impact of Operation Summer Storm at Loktak lake, the Apunba Lup, a conglomeration of numerous voluntary organisations is set to conduct a massive survey on the losses suffered by the people living on the periphery of the Lake as well as to demand adequate compensation from the Government.

A soldier trudges on during the Ops at Loktak Lake (File)

Launched by the Army under 57 Mountain Division and assisted by State police commandos, the operation started from the wee hours of April 12 and continued for about 10 days, in which over 10 PREPAK militants were killed.

The operation also touched the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the floating abode for the rare and endangered Sangai.

To escape the gun fight a good number of villagers from the periphery of the Lake as well as Keibul Lamjao fled their homesteads and took refuge in relief camps at Ithai, Arong and tera Khunou, all located near the park.

Some families also too refuge in the homes of friends and relatives.

The villagers had also alleged that due to the operation they were barred from fishing in the lake, which is their main source of livelihood.

Allegations were also raised that children could not attend schools due to the operations launched by the Army.

Y Jiten, a key functionary of Apunba Lup said, "Since the daily occupation of the villagers is fishing in the lake and collecting vegetables and other greens, they suffered tremendously following the launching of the operation".

Apunba Lup is also set to study the impact of the operations on the villagers on other points such as the fear factor, which could have affected the villagers on a large scale.

A meeting will soon be convened to discuss the fate of around 2000 villagers affected by the operation, said Jiten adding that the Government would be pressurised to pay the needed compensation.

Fear of unexploded bombs still abound.