Fate of Sendra Tourist Home ; After AR vacates, state forces occupy it
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Laishram Roshan

Imphal, August 18 2013: Located at about 48 km to the south of Imphal, Sendra is a hillock where one can have a bird's eye view of the largest fresh water lake in the north-east, Loktak Lake.

The expanse of the lake in different directions and the small islands that are actually floating weeds can be seen vividly from this hillock.

Numerous tourists visit the Sendra Tourist Home every year to see the gleaming beauty of the lake.

But the visitors have not been able to enjoy the pleasure provided by the tourist home properly for the last 20 years.

And moreover, the ignorance and improper manner of the tourists are also reasons for the deterioration of the natural beauty of the tourist home.

Fate of Sendra Tourist Home

Sources said that to aid counter insurgency operation in the area, security personnel including Assam Rifles and state forces started occupying all the four tourist homes of the state located at Moirang, Sendra, Phubala and Churachandpur since 1994 .

Following public protest against occupation of the tourist homes by the security forces as it causes inconveniences to the movement of the outstation tourists and domestic tourists, Assam Rifles vacated Sendra tourist Home only some time back.

But as soon as the Assam Rifles vacated the tourist home, state forces occupied and converted it as their outpost.

Now, nearly 13-20 personnel are staying at the place.

Instead of making tourists to stay at the home, they are not allowed even to enter inside the home.

Visitors have to roam around and rest at the view-point constructed at the top of the hillock.

Speaking to Hueiyen Lanpao, one of the visiting tourists said, "We have come all the way from Uttar Pradesh to visit the north-east especially the Loktak Lake.

We have read in the booklet published by the Tourism Dept about the tourist home.

But when we come here, we see it being occupied by the security forces.

We have to return again to Imphal at our hotel" .

Another tourist also recalled that when he was a child, he once stayed for a night at the tourist home and it was a great pleasure for him to see the lake at night.

But these days, tourists have very little chances to enjoy that, he added.

On the other hand, the scenic beauty of the hillock has been deteriorated by the ignorant and improper actions of the tourists.

The litter plastic bags, empty bottles and cans could be seen all around.

One can easily see plastic bags and empty cans right from the foothill.

A signboard instructing the visitors to keep the area clean and to use dustbins was erected by the Assam rifles but it was broken by the tourists.

A local resident told Hueiyen Lanpao that the condition of the tourist home is now worst than ever and he drew the attention of the Govt for its proper renovation and development after shifting away the security personnel.

He also revealed that when the home was functioning properly, the local residents used to open shops and hotels around and it was sources of their livelihood.

A local volunteer pointed out that the Govt.should frame a policy to protect the tourist spots in the state which have great potential for generating revenue.

"All the toilets are in miserable condition.

Visitors have to run to nearby houses to answer the call of nature," the volunteer added.