The smog warning
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 14 2012 -

Thick smog enveloped Imphal city, especially along the airport road, reducing visibility to near zero :: Dec 11 2012 :: Pix - TSE

TO A first time visitor, the thick smog that has remained enveloping the capital city Imphal for the last the few days could be easily mistaken as the sign of winter.

But to local residents, who have never ever experienced such a phenomenon in their whole life so far, it is surely a sign of warning of a climatic catastrophe that could have far reaching impact, if no timely measure is taken.

As we have pointed out through this column on various occasions earlier, the climatic-condition of Manipur may be still described as salubrious in the brochures brought out by the State Government for promotion of tourism, but in reality, it is not so any more.

In fact, with extreme climates taking over moderate climate, of which the State was known for, the climatic condition in Manipur is nowhere near salubrity today.

With its once dense green covers diminishing and the natural wetlands dotting across the State disappearing, Manipur is no stranger to the impact of climate change being witnessed and experienced all over the globe today.

The problem of environmental crisis in Manipur has been further compounded by the rapid unplanned urbanization process that has been taking place at a faster pace than we could cope up with and the so-called developmental projects that drag on for years without end.

Some 3 years back, there were reports about the level of dust pollution in the air of Imphal reaching the level of high pollution' category and the content of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) as well as Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) increasing at an alarming rate largely from the ambitious Imphal Sewerage Project and other road construction works which have been going on for last many years.

After these disturbing reports, it is not known whether the concerned authorities of the State Government had conducted any new study or research on the pollution level in the atmosphere of Imphal.

But the same so-called developmental projects are still going on with no sign of completion in the immediate future.

On the other hand, the number of vehicles plying on the already congested narrow roads and by-lanes of Imphal has been increasing year after year.

So, it would be so obvious even to a dumb-witted person that the pollution level in Imphal may have only been aggravated in the intervening period, if it has not crossed the permissible level by now.

The think smog enveloping Imphal today should be regarded as a timely wakeup call to the danger lurching ahead not only in the climatic condition of the State but on the health of its people, if no effort were made with the earnestness it deserves for improving the qualify of the air.