Uphul-Waiphul and Leikhom-Leinang : Pathetic roads all over
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 26, 2025 -

The link between Uphul-Waiphul, Leikhom-Leinang and the Weather-God is something clearly seen on the roads of Manipur and to The Sangai Express the dust and slush is most clearly visible on the roads and leiraks of Imphal.

With the sky yet to open, it is Uphul-Waiphul at the moment and once the sky opens up one can expect Leikhom-Leinang to define all the roads of Imphal without exception.

And it is under this condition that people living on either side of the road stretch from Oriental College to Patsoi on National Highway 37 have had to ‘survive’ since 2021 and this refers to the period of the double-engine Government.

A damning statement that the popular Government did not deem it fit to accord the importance that is due to an important road stretch and now with President’s Rule in place, one hopes the right priority is placed on this road stretch.

Spanning over 15 kilometres, it is hard to imagine that people living along the road stretch have been compelled to live under such a condition and equally flabbergasting is the fact that thousands of motorists have to endure the dust and sludge, depending on the weather, since 2021.

With Chief Secretary PK Singh having taken note of the pathetic condition of the road stretch, one hopes that things improve, for this is definitely not how people living in the capital of a State of the great Indian Union should be condemned to live.

Anyone who has taken a ride along the said road stretch will tell the story of the dust being kicked up by all types of vehicles plying on the road and come the wet season one will definitely be greeted by the mud and slush on the road.

This is about an important stretch on National Highway 37 but how about conditions on the other roads that pass through the heart of Imphal city ?

Anyone who has the ‘misfortune’ of taking the road stretch along Waheng Leikai will have nothing to say except the huge craters in the middle of the road, which are otherwise known as potholes.

The experience of driving along this road can be all that more of a pain in the night and the Government does not seem to have noticed it at all.

Imphal usually and conveniently talks about the working season, that is when the season is dry and Now is the dry season.

Or is the Government waiting for the sky to open up so that it can fall back on the ‘non-working season’ excuse ?

This is definitely not how a people should be expected to survive and the dust and slush on the roads of Imphal should say something profound about the utter failure of the Government to look into something as basic as ensuring good roads within the capital city for its citizens.

This is about Imphal and one can imagine the state of the roads at the other districts. Something has to give.

Manipur cannot afford to continue living like this, while those in positions of power and influence continue to throw their weight around and talk big.

This is definitely not governance. And roads do not fall apart on a single day and the road stretch from Oriental College at Tera to Patsoi must have started falling apart much before 2021.

Taking the people for granted, this is what has been happening for decades in Manipur and now with President’s Rule in place and the Chief Secretary having taken note of the condition of the road, one hopes corrective measures are taken up.

Nothing seems to be working and the failure of the Government to do anything right for the people should be seen beyond the ongoing clash.

It was back on March 20 that The Sangai Express had carried a story on how the Imphal Sewerage Project has been left in limbo with the dug up roadsides left unfinished.

Imphal Sewerage Project, a project that has come to haunt the people of Manipur and it is under this very project that freshly laid roads have been dug up, roads have been blocked to the public and now to what avail ?

The said project dates back years, and it is still shocking that it is yet to be finalised and the common thread that runs through all the unfinished roadwork is ‘money’.

Money for which have been allegedly withdrawn but the work has been left unfinished.

One hopes the PR dispensation digs this up and fix responsibility and penalise the people responsible for the farce.