Protesting its dilapidated condition, Mayai Lambi dug out
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 15 2024: From digging out road to arrest of four women and calling indefinite bandh along Mayai Lambi, tension flared up along Mayai Lambi today over the non-maintenance of the Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch.

The protesting women contended that they have approached the Chief Minister and the MLAs concerned multiple times to repair the road which is in an extremely bad condition but the Government hasn't done anything worthwhile to address their grievances other than giving empty assurances.

The tension escalated after Wangoi police arrested four protesters.

Peeved by the police action, the protesters stormed Wangoi police station and demanded immediate release of the four women.

The arrestees were released in the evening.

Notably, the Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch of Mayai Lambi covers three constituencies viz Naoriya Pakhanglakpa, Wangoi and Mayang Imphal.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the MLAs of the three ACs - S Kebi, Kh Loken and K Robindro, had on multiple occasions, assured that the road will be repaired, as per Mayai Lambi Apunba Meira Paibi Lup (MLAML), the group which is calling the indefinite bandh on Mayai Lambi.

This group said that the Mayai Lambi will be closed until the Government starts repairing the road stretch (Mongsangei to Sekmaijin).

Emergency services and students, however, will be allowed to traverse along the route, they said.

This is not the first time that MLAML is protesting against the non-mainte-nance of the Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch.

Earlier this year, this women group served an ultimatum to the Government to start repairing the road by July 31.Their condition was that Mayai Lambi will be closed if their demand is not entertained.

MLAML, however, didn't go ahead with their road closure protest after the Chief Minister, on August 2, assured that the road will be repaired in a short span of time.

Following the assurance by the Chief Minister, some engineers and contractors inspected the Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch and started filling some potholes.

The work, however, was stopped because of rain and the locals requested the Government to resume the work as soon as the weather condition improved, as per MLAML.

As the work didn't commence even after the end of rainy season, MLAML again met some of the Government representatives and asked them to begin the road repair work before December 12.MLAML said that the officials whom they met agreed to resume the work after December 12.Peeved with the Government's response to their grievances, a large number of womenfolk came out at Samurou at around 9 am today and started digging out the Mayai Lambi to register their protest.

As soon as the women began their protest, a team of Wangoi police arrived at the site and told the women to stop what they were doing.

The women continued digging out the road despite the warning by police as they argued that there is no point in keeping the road which has been neglected by the Government for years.

They also said that the road has become unsafe for people to traverse to the point that accidents have become a common phenomenon.

Police arrested four from among the protesters and took them to Wangoi police station following a heated argument.

The protesters then stormed the police station and tried to forcefully open the gate with a demand to release the four women.

The arrestees were released in the evening.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, one of the protesters said that Mayai Lambi, despite being an important road, is too narrow apart from the Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch being in a deplorable condition.

The road is filled with potholes, she added.

Saying that Mongsangei to Sekmaijin stretch has become an accident prone area, she continued that many people were also killed in road accidents along the route.

The road is filled with puddles and becomes muddy whenever there is rain and dusty during dry season, she said, adding that many people were injured while trying to avoid driving through potholes.

She went on to state that going to Imphal through Mayai Lambi takes too much time due to the pathetic road conditions and the same is problematic to students and during emergency works.

It's been years that the Government said Mayai Lambi will be upgraded to a National Highway, she continued and asked the Chief Minister to come and see the conditions of Mayai Lambi which the people, have been taking by putting: their lives at risk.

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