Government apathy plagues Lambal village
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 15 2022:
Even though located only 11 km away from Imphal city, Lambal village which is sandwiched between Lamsang and Lamlongei is plagued with lack of attention from the government.
There is a government primary school in the village and its building was constructed recently under SSA funding.
Despite having a pucca building, absence of teaching staff has turned the school building into a cowshed and the school compound a grazing ground for local cattle.
The nearest high school is located at some distance from the village and students often miss their classes in case they miss the passenger transport.
The residents are also facing shortage of safe drinking water due to slow pressure in the public tap water points.
Water hardly reaches the public tap at the far side of the water supply scheme and local residents are hoping of enhancing the capacity of water reservoir and to add additional infrastructure to increase the water pressure.
The village is also facing issues regarding power supply as power infrastructures in the village are worn out.
The electric transformer often gets blown off plunging the village into darkness for days.
Broken electric poles are also a common problem that the village is facing and there were instances of cattle getting electrocuted due to snapped electric poles.
Frequent and long interruption in power supply is taking a toll on the villagers, especially students.
Though appliances like electric rice cooker have become common household things today, the villagers could hardly use these appliances due to frequent power outages.
Ironically, MSPDCL had installed prepaid meter boxes but the consumers are yet to reap the benefit of pre-paid power connection.
Road conditions are also bad in the village posing health risks as well as threat to the safety of commuters, especially school students.
Bamon Lambi, an IVR which leads to Mayang Langjing and Lamsang is also becoming narrower, especially at the banks of Lambal river.
The local residents want the government to widen the road and construct retaining wall for the river bank.
As the local paddy fields are located on the other side of the road, the local residents want the government to construct a wider bridge to facilitate easy and convenient movement, especially for farming purpose.
The existing bridge is a plank structure and farmers are being forced to take longer bypass to get to their farms.
They are also urging the government to complete the construction of the 80-feet long Bailey bridge over Lambal River soon.
Construction of a water supply scheme is going on at a cost of Rs 169.52 crore with funding from National Development Bank (NDB).
However, the progress is slow.
A dam was also constructed in the river to source water for the water supply scheme.
Unfortunately, planks are being used as shutter of the dam instead of metal, and the retaining walls have also got leaked making it difficult to hold water.
Mayang Langjing GP member Kabrabam Thanil told The People's Chronicle that renovation of Imphal Kangchup road passing through Lamsang, Lambal and Lamlongei is going on under the supervision of Lamsang MLA S Rajen.
The GP had approached the department concerned for replacing dam shutter and repairing the leaked retaining walls since most of the residents are farmers and they are engaged in agricultural activities whole year round.
An iron bridge had been constructed through GP fund and they want another such bridge, which could not be constructed due to fund constraint.
They are also requesting departments concerned to install solar lightings at Ibudhou Lai Koubru Haraobung.
The residents rely on Lamsang CHC and RIMS hospital for their medical emergencies and they want a primary health centre nearby, he added.