On Tipaimukh Dam

K Prongo *

Scholars and Leaders have been writing about Tipaimukh Dam for the last 50 years which is nothing but crying in the wilderness. I can boldly say that there is none other who knows what is Tipaimukh Dam better than myself. Willingly or unwillingly I am associated with Tipaimukh Dam which is Barak River since 1955.

It was on May 15, 1955 while I was working in NEFA Senatoriate in Shillong the late Mr A Daiho and Mr S Lorho the then ministers in the erstwhile Territorial Council of Manipur came to Shillong to meet the Advisor to the Governor of Assam, the late NK Rustumji t request him to stop drilling of the Tunel to draw the Barak River from Koide in the east to Oklong in the west in Mao Maram Sub-Division.

The reason was that the Govt. of India wanted to start a Hydro-Electric project from this Barak river at Oklong side, and in doing this the villages from Koide downward will have no water to cultivate their terrace fields.

When they returned from Shillong they met their collegue Late Bijoy MLA from Jiribam who was preparing to go to Shillong to complain the starting of aDam in Barak River at a place in Jiribam Sub-Division Moinadhor. The villages from Tipaimukh to Moinadhor complained that if the Dam is constructed their paddy fields will be submerged, and not only that their bamboo business will be lost as they could no longer carry down their bamboos to Assam paper mills.

I was BDO Mao-Maram in 1958-59 and I know the source of Barak River which starts from Laii Saranamai. The proposed Tunnel site is also known to me very well. Again I was SDO Jiribam in 1965, and one day the then Chief Minister of Manipur Shri M Koireng along with his finance minister L Solomon Came to Jiribam to see the Tipaimukh Dam as the Japanese Government wanted to start the paper mill at Jirimukh which was agreed with the Govt. of India in 1955 when the Dam was supposed to have started.

I was shocked to hear of power being generated from a Dam in Jiribam which was non existence. When I enquired from the people of Jiribam and its MLA Bijoy Singh, they told me that it was initially started at a place called Moinadhor. So we all went to Moinadhor including the Chief Minister, Finance Minister with MLA and saw a small cement platform which was the Tipaimukh Dam foundation. This showed that attempt was made to start the Dam in 1955.

I was again transferred as SDO Churachandpur in 1967. Now Tipaimukh falls under Churachandpur Sub-Division and the name of the village is Mongzungkai Hmar Village. So Tipaimukh is so well known to me.

Now what is Tipaimukh. What do you mean by Tipaimukh. There is a river called Tuivai which runs down from village Senvon in Churachandpur Sub-Division in between Mizoram. This river meet the bigger Barak river at village Mongzungkai.

The only mode of transport for Mizos and Hmars in that part of the country is by boat. The boat men Majis are all Sylettis Bengalees. They rowed their Boats upto the place where the river Tuivai meet Barak River and they called this as Tuivai Mukh means mouth of Tuivai. The Britishers on hearing Tuivaimukh called it Tipaimukh. Even today the boatmen call it Tuivaimukh but the local people call it Tipaimukh.

Once again, I became the first SDO of Tipaimukh Sub-Division in 1971 with Head Quarter at Tipaimukh itself. I shifted Tipaimukh Sub-Division to Parbung in 1972 and now Tipaimukh is in Parbung Sub-Division. And so I boastfully say that there is none who knows what is Tipaimukh Dam better than myself.

Now there are several organizations for and against Tipaimukh Dam. All these writings for or against comes to 214 pages and they are all with me. Formally Tipaimukh Dam was handled by Brahmaputra Board. The top ranking officer who handled this file is a very intimate friend of mine and all their writings are also with me.

The Govt. of Manipur Cabinet Ministers who handled the Subject and incidentally whose Assembly also are Dr Chaltonlien and Mr Phungzathang Tonsing. Whenever any meeting on Tipaimukh Dam, invariably honourable Ministers invite me to participate in the meeting because they know that I am ultimately known to Tipaimukh, likewise organizations against Tipaimukh Dam like ACTIP.

Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project Manipur Hydropolitics of Tipaimukh High Dam of Dr RK Ranjan, Citizens Concerned for Dams and Development CCDD, Centre for Organization Research and Education CORE led by Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy and Anna Pinto, Women Leader like Ms Aram Pamei, the last but not the least elaborate studies and explanation, merits and demerits have been written by scholar Col RS Jassal have all landed in crying in the wilderness. The only person I met who appeared to take keen interest was Borgohain who was the chief engineer NEEPCO, but he also disappeared in the wilderness.

There is a popular common saying, that if you want to see intimate dogs fighting, you throw a meat bone in between the dogs. The dogs will start fighting for nothing even if they are intimate. Likewise the Centre Govt. want to see the peace loving people of the north east fighting for nothing and the start writing and talking about Tipaimukh Dam.

When the North East people started fighting, seeing the fight the Centre has a good laugh. It is now 55 years talking about Tipaimukh Dam which is never started and will not be started. But Centre must know that time has changed, peoples attitude have also changed.

They can no longer be treated as laughing stock. If, therefore you are genuinely interested to do the job, start now with people participation. Take advise from people who knows what is Barak River and what is Tipaimukh you can complete the most Gigantic Dam within 6 (six) months, without any interference from state like Bangladesh who poke their nose into others affair out of jealousy.