Ningel salt spring faces extinction
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 14 2024: Like many saline water springs in Manipur that have vanished over the years, the historic Ningel Thumkhong in Thoubal district may soon face the same fate if kept neglected.

Located in Ningel in Thoubal's Heirok Assembly Constituency, it is a spring well that is still in use today for making Meitei Thumpak - a salt cake which is a key ingredient traditionally used in many rituals including marriage ceremonies.

Water is collected from the well and is heated to make Meitei Thumpak (salt cake).

While salt produced in Ningel was consumed by people of Manipur in olden days, it has been replaced by modem iodised salt readily available in the market.

Ningel Villagers still safeguarding traditional Salt Well :: Pix - Imphal Times

While the salt of Ningel is hardly consumed by people now, the Meitei Thum-pak has not yet lost its traditional values and is still used in many ritual ceremonies.

Ningel Thumkhong has three spring wells.

During the time of Maharaja Garibniwaz (1763 AD), the well was properly developed.

A wooden pipe, which exists still today, was inserted deep into one of the springs for collecting the saline water.

Salt making was the primary occupation of Ningel village, but now there are only a few families who are still producing the salt.

70-year-old Khangembam Kunjarani said Ningel Thumkhong has lost some of its salinity over the years and the demand for Thumpak (salt cake) has also declined.

"When people were consuming Ningel salt, many of our villagers were engaged in manufacturing salt.

Now, there are only 5-6 families which are still producing salt," Kunjarani said.

People nowadays do not consume Ningel salt.

Packaged salt is readily available in the market.

Moreover, people are starting to use packed salt instead of Thumpak in rituals, and this has directly affected the occupation, she added.

Earlier, 6-7 cakes of Meitei Thumpak were used in every marriage ceremony, and new mothers are given this salt.

The demand for Meitei Thumpak was then high in the market, Kunjarani said, lamenting that the use of the salt cake has sharply declined nowadays.

"As the demand for Meitei Thumpak has declined, there is not much profit in the business.

Youngsters do not want to learn this trade.

Only a few elders are engaged in the trade," Kunjarani said.

With the decline in salt making, women of Ningel have lost a major source of income and work, she added.

Preserving the traditional use of Meitei Thumpak will be key to conserving Ningel Thumkhong and saving the dying occupation, Kunjarani said.

Soibam Kuber (66), a local of Ningel, said the wood used as a well in one of the three springs is Ching Yensin and the particular well is the one that is primarily used for manufacturing salt.

He said the salinity of the water of the wooden well is higher than the other two.

While locals have been taking efforts to preserve the well from time to time, the Government has not done anything concrete to preserve this piece of history, Kuber said.

He said the wooden well was damaged by a fire some 10 years ago.

A person accidentally left a candle burning on the wooden well and it caused a fire.

It damaged some portions of the well, he said.

Many utensils have fallen inside the well.

A thorough cleaning of the well is also needed, he added.

Ningel Thumkhong is not just another salt spring.

It is a piece of history that may be lost forever if not preserved, Kuber said, seeking the attention of the Government.