Recent new positive and negative developments in Manipur

Khelsoril Wanbe *

Filled LPG cylinders being sold in the black market :: Pix - TSE

The grand promise of 20/24 power supply per day now seems to be slowly and gradually becoming a reality with the introduction of a new system - prepaid. Rampant power tax/bill payment evasion and thefts have compelled the adoption and adaption of this new system. Could post-paid have been continued and prepaid system avoided if power bills had been paid faithfully and regularly, perhaps, is a million dollar question!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the earlier system? We may look back and try to do the re-evaluation. Should we feel nostalgic of those not so old days of not paying power bills and enjoying the brunt of long and regular load-shedding? Are those gloomy days really not going to return again, we don't know and we can't say? We can only wait and see if things are gonna be different forever.

But grim looking days seem to be bleakly staring at us! The LPG cooking gas crisis is worsening with each passing day. We keep waiting for the booking day to arrive; but the wait is no less painful than that of serpentine queue at a petrol pump during days of bandhs and blockades. All we can do is remember the song, 'Take it Easy' or 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'. Because of one or other reason, we are no more enjoying the luxury of cooking with LPG, like before.

The government's grand promises of supplying 9 or even 12 gas filled cylinders in a year at subsidized rate are fast turning into a pipe dream and hollow promise. What could be the many reasons; we the common men have no idea. All we want is regular cooking gas supply in the kitchen. Who could be the agencies who can help bring the crisis to an end; the gas agencies or the governments?

Or, should we opt for electric cooking stoves with the now seemingly unbroken prepaid power supply? Has our power supply become really reliable and dependable like is the case in country like the US or Japan? Things are becoming ever more expensive and unaffordable, especially for the poor and low income people. The LPG problem is now going to force people for alternative means. Are we to go back to those old days of firewood and charcoals? But firewood and charcoal too are becoming ever more unaffordable.

Have we ever wondered how we are surviving despite ever multiplying energy crisis so to say? Everything now comes with ever rising price tags. Population crisis is one thing, but improper management of our available means and resources, perhaps, is a more serious crisis facing us with its red fangs. So, the new positive developments are being accompanied and neutralised by many negative and seemingly unwarranted developments.

But again looking at what seems to be really a positive development is that of the coming to an end of what used to be unimaginably long queues in front or more precisely far away from the entry doors of ATM booths. The opening up of many ATM booths in every nook and cranny of Imphal city has tremendously reduced the ATM crisis. But the only setback or disruption in the new development are like, currency notes running out of the ATM machine or the ATM machine going out of order once in a while or in other words every now and then. Nevertheless, the ATM problem has tremendously and considerably improved compared to what it used to be a few years ago.

Now I only wish that our LPG gas problem will also be soon resolved with the interventions coming from different directions – the government, media, the agencies, the consumers etc. I just read in the Sangai Express about some individuals getting 22, 12, 9, 8, 7 refills this year itself and suddenly I begin to wonder and alarm whether I have been abysmally cheated or otherwise; how come, I get only three refills so far and I'm amazed of how my better half has been managing the kitchen so well with kerosene, firewood, electric cooker and seldom by LPG; and our LPG cylinder has lasted more than three months; but this has not been without a lot of untold hardship!

What is the price of kerosene per litre; what is the price of wood per 1 mon (forty kg); how much faster the electric metre runs when a cooking gas is on? But all these don't or can't replace the convenience and comfort of cooking by an LPG run stove. Why do we brave long queues in front of LPG agencies? It's done because we wanna enjoy the comfort of cooking by cooking gas. Cooking by kerosene and firewood, in no way, provides the same comfort as does by LPG stove.

Now, we feel like saying we don't care about the subsidised rate, we care more about getting LPG cylinder refills regularly like we used to enjoy before. But, perhaps, we mustn't lose hope; brighter days might be ahead, though we can't predict how soon. All the concerned people, maybe, should join hands together and organise some peaceful democratic protest rallies and dharnas because in the absence of LPG cooking gas we can't imagine how much or what amount of our precious time and comfort are being lost or wasted.

Now coming to traffic jams, dust and noise pollution in our post-modern Imphal city; things are really a misery. Today we are witnessing double parking, triple parking and motionless traffic jam or traffic failure. The number of four and two wheeled vehicles has increased almost like the coming into fulfilment of the biblical promise to Abraham that his descendants would be numerous as the sands on the seashore.

Thinking of the traffic congestion that we're going face on the Kangla road, Paona road, Thangal Road, Nagamapal road, Keishampat road, we can only wipe the sweat of anticipation on the brow. But who can help; perhaps, no one; we will have to face bravely the rapidly changing traffic condition of Imphal city. Numbers of cars, bikes have multiplied many folds and besides these, auto rickshaws are hogging the limelight of our busy streets on which hundreds of vehicles get bogged down for long minutes every day.

With a lot of road development programs being taken up, we can hope to see a better days in the coming future ahead of us. With the shifting of our secretariat and other office buildings to better and suitable places and a lot of road widening having taken place in the heart of the city things are likely to improve. Now our existing roads need good quality blacktopping unlike our traditional cosmetic black make-up that is very thin.

If all our roads are black topped up to the edge/ side limits of our road, surely our air pollution will be brought down to a manageable level. Why shouldn't we make our road dust free if it is happening in Bangkok or Singapore? If we want to attract foreign tourists, we need to beautify our roads and make them pollution/dust free.

Now with regard to the rising noise pollution, I would like to share a thought or two. It is undeniable that some noises like that of the aeroplane, gas tankers, trucks, bull dozer, JCB, trucks cannot be easily brought under control unless the mechanical engineers do some more serious research, but these days we seem to be witnessing and hearing some vehicles and bikes which apparently are modified to produce almost intolerable, unreasonable and unnecessary noise which shatter into smithereens the quietness, silence and tranquillity of the environment.

Sometimes, I myself am tempted if I should remove the silencer or silential pipe of my old bike and drive all around Imphal and draw the complete attention of one and all including the traffic police and other dangerous law enforcing personnel; but on second thought, I have restraint myself keeping in view public safety and comfort. I wish we were all thoughtful, caring and well behaved human beings though that may never be the case.