IT Road denizens caught in a time warp
Source: The Sangai Express / Henkhokai Hillou

Imphal, July 23 2012: The aphorism, 'everybody's child is nobody's child' would best describe the pathetic condition of the people who are living in IT Road area in Sadar Hills.

Although covered by four Assembly segments of Kangpokpi, Tadubi, Saitu and Tamei, people inhabiting the Imphal-Tamenglong road, popularly referred to as IT Road, are yet to 'feel' the presence of the Government on all fronts.

The glaring absence of any basic amenities in areas such as health care, electricity and most importantly transport and communication, signifies that none of the four representatives kept their promises to the people.

The area has around 70 villages including Chalwa, Wakotphai, Gelnel, Thenjang, T Waichong, Songjang, etc with a population of about 20,000 .

Compounding the negligence of the powers-that-be, the hardship of the people gets multiplied when natural calamities beset them such as the recent flood that washed away the road and paddy fields.

A rivulet makes its way over the middle of a road

The only road connectivity the area has is the IT Road, that is literally caught in a time warp.

During a recent tour to the area, this reporter came across the bad road condition with cesspools of water in the middle of the road.

A rivulet had deviated from its course and took its course right in the middle of the road at one stretch of the road between Waichong and Gelnel.

The rest of the road was filled with potholes.

"Travelling along the road is a veritable hell," remarked an Assam Rifles personnel posted at Thonglang village in the area.

It may be mentioned that the road (IT Road) was once blacktopped some few years back.

But the road is in shambles as there has been no maintenance at all.

No wonder, the people of the area are yet to enjoy the glow of electricity, over six decades after independence even as the department concerned has put the electric wire from Kangpokpi till Tamei.

Th Khongsai, chief of Gelnel village told The Sangai Express that the department concerned was requested to provide electricity to the area through the Kangpokpi-Tamei connecting line.

But it was turned down by the department stating that the area would be provided electricity through another line that is said to come from Tamei Power Sub-station, which is never realised till date.

'A proposal for the installation of a power sub-station at Gelnel was made to the concerned department on sharing basis.

But it was turned down on the pretext of supplying electricity to the area from Tamei power station, which of course, never materialises,' said Th Khongsai.

It is also pertinent to mention that a micro-hydel project with a production capacity of 450 kw was started at Gelnel village in 1982 .

The hydel project had worked for a brief period of time during 1992-93 only to be razed down in the Kuki-Naga ethnic clash, the chief added.

The project was restored recently by the MANIREDA though the Power department is dragging its feet for connection and supply, Th Khongsai said.

Not daunted by the alleged negligence, the locals have illuminated the area using dynamo, which is bought at their own expenses.

Locals said that a 2kb dynamo, which costs around Rs 20,000, can provide light to around 10 households though the number of bulb to be used is limited to two/three bulbs per household.

Talking about the modus operandi, a villager said, a group of ten households contributed an equal amount of money among themselves to buy the dynamo and in turn share the power equally.

"The existence of numerous brooks and rivulets that flow perennially were blessings in disguise," observed Kh Satgoulen, Chairman of KCK (Kuki Christian youth fellowship), Chalwa village.

He said the rivulets might prove fatal for the road and paddy fields, but it is helping the villagers run their dynamo continually on the other hand.

At T Waichong, there is one Primary Health Centre with only one doctor.

The health centre, which was renovated recently, is awaiting inauguration till date thereby putting the lives of vulnerable people at risk.

"In the absence of health centre in the area, the people have no option other than going to the nearest such centre at Kangpokpi which is around 60 kilometres away," a villager of Gelnel said.

'There have been occasions wherein serious patients had to succumb before reaching the destination,' the villagers rued, adding, the villagers have to consult the quacks or resorted to traditional form of medication in case of emergency.

Inevitably, the people are prone to suffer from diarrhoea and malaria during monsoon.