Backbreaking roads in Imphal : Double whammy from Govt
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 06, 2025 -

It is more than a double whammy and central to it all is the ineffectiveness of the Government, the failure to take up necessary action on time or the refusal to acknowledge the reality on time.

So while Manipur continues to survive in a state of siege for over two years on the trot, decay is the word that should aptly describe its capital Imphal.

Just how deep the rot runs will be known by just a walk down any of the major roads in Imphal and if this is the state of affairs in the capital one can only imagine how things must be like at some of the major towns in the State, such as Kakching and Moirang.

There is not much to say about the capital of the hill districts such as Ukhrul town and Senapati town for the simple reason that it has been over two years since anyone from the head office of The Sangai Express have visited these two district's, but just a cursory look at Imphal can give a fair idea of how things must be like in the hill districts.

The Sangai Express, presently does not have the record at hand but how long has the road stretch behind Sani Mandir on the Khoyathong to Thangal Keithel been in this state?

Reports coming in say that work of covering the road top with paver blocks or concrete pavers or paving stones or whatever one may call it, is underway, but no one knows how long this will take.

Again no one knows how long the work of putting up a refurbished or a new bridge in place of the old one, just next to LIC office, that connects Khoyathong road to the National Highway on the Kanglapat stretch will take, but the work on the same started in mid February, which means it is already two and half months since the said road stretch has been blocked, severely inconveniencing the public.

With the connecting bridge under repair, all vehicles coming from Thangmeiband side have to either take the Nagamapal road to proceed southwards or take the road that leads to the Assembly, go right up to Khongnang Ani Karak crossing and take right to go to the market or move southward.

Or take the road within DM University and turning a road running through an educational institution into a thoroughfare does not exactly fit in with the understanding of making places of learning safe for the students!

These are but just some examples that come to mind and these examples are being quoted for staff and employees of The Sangai Express are compelled to take the routes mentioned.

Take a look at any of the road stretches and what one sees will defeat everything that is associated with making Imphal a Smart City.

Apart from the potholes filled roads, Imphalites have to bear with the piling dirt and garbage everywhere.

It was with a reason why The Sangai Express felt it necessary to carry a photo story on page 1 some time back showing the piled up garbage in the heart of Imphal city.

That the picture did not wake up the Government is there for all to see and there is no indication that it will wake up to the filthy reality.

The Sangai Express has commented numerous times on the filth and garbage and the pathetic conditions of the roads in Imphal many times, but there is no indication that the Government has any intention of taking up corrective measures.

The failure of the Government is writ large everywhere.

Apart from the pathetic failure to take Manipur to the path of normalcy, it has also abysmally failed to ensure that people can move smoothly from Point A to Point B.

The Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is more than an eye sore and so pathetic is its condition right now that no passenger vehicle moves inside the campus to pick up or drop passengers.

The result is, passengers are either picked up or dropped by the roadside adding to the traffic chaos along Dingku Road.

This is certainly not the way the capital of a State should be like.

Take the road connecting Nagamapal to RIMS along Lamlambung and here would be a classic example of how a road can be left to break up and imperil the lives of everyone, including those who have to be rushed to the hospital for necessary medical treatment.

It should also say something profound that instead of concentrating on how to address basic things which are of utmost importance to the common people, more attention seems to be focused on when a popular Government would be allowed to return.

Central to the pathetic state that Imphal finds itself in today is this mindset of the people and the political leaders.