Sit-in staged against incomplete mini dam
Source: The Sangai Express
Bishnupur, January 23 2019:
A sit-in protest was staged today at Kumbi market demanding completion of Uyunghoubi Mini Dam by March this year.
Later, a public rally was also held to voice their dissent.
Uyunghoubi Mini Dam was started building over Khuga river at Uyungmakhong in Kumbi Kendra from 2014-15 with the aim to provide adequate volume of water to about 30,000 hectare of field in and around Kumbi Kendra.
The sit-in and the rally was jointly organized by Kumbi Kendra Progressive Farmers' Association, Kumbi Haotak Loukon Farmers' Committee, Meekon Memorial Farmers' Association, Wangoo Terakhong Farmers' Club, Kumbi Setupur Pisciculture Co-operative Society Ltd, Wangoo Terakhong GP Level Multipurpose Society Ltd, and Ithai Farmers' Association.
Placards which read as "Provide the benefits of having a dam to farmers", "Fulfill Chief Minister's farmer support programme", "Stop misappropriation of money in the name of building dam", and "Complete construction of Kumbi Uyungpokpi Dam at the earliest" were used during the protest demonstration while the rally which was flagged off from Kumbi market culminated at the foot of Uyungmakhong Mini Dam.
Regarding the sit-in protest, Advisor Kumbi Kendra Progressive Farmers' Association, N Ibobi Singh said that farmers of Kumbi Kendra are annoyed and incensed due to extended period of time taken to build a small dam over Khuga river for the last 4-5 years and urged the concerned department to complete it by March this year failing which violent agitation will be launched with the support of public of Kumbi Kendra and its neighbouring farmers.
On the sideline of the protest demonstration, one of the farmers said that their hope have been dashed due to prolonged time taken to construct the said dam and appealed for immediate intervention from the Chief Minister of the State to finish the building of dam at the earliest.