Congress alleges flood management failure
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 01 2025: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Keisham Meghachandra visited flood-affected areas of Heingang assembly constituency in Imphal East district on Sunday, and accused the water resources department of total failure in flood control management.

He was accompanied by All India Congress Committee (AICC) member N Bupenda Meitei, MPCC general secretary P Saratchandra and other party leaders during the inspection.

Saratchandra briefed the PCC president on areas affected by the current floods in the constituency.

Congress alleges flood management failure

Speaking to the media, Meghachandra criticised the water resources department for failing to manage flood-prone areas and vulnerable river banks across the state.

He said that both residential and agricultural areas had been submerged due to the overflowing of rivers caused by breaches in river bunds and incomplete retaining walls.

He alleged that the failure to complete construction works under the critical flood control and anti-erosion measures was the root cause for the current disaster.

The works were taken up under the Flood Management and Border Area Programme of the ministry of water resources.

He pointed out that the ministry had sanctioned Rs 460 crore for flood control in Manipur, and Bhartia Infra Project Ltd (BIPL), a company with close links to BJP leaders, had taken up works amounting to Rs 168 crore with a contract period of one year starting in 2023 .

He questioned why the work remained incomplete even after crossing the time frame, which should have been met in the past two years.

Expressing serious concern for the flood-affected people in various parts of the valley and hills, the Congress leader particularly mentioned the worsening situation in Singjamei, Khurai, Wangkhei assembly constituencies and other areas of Imphal East and Thoubal districts.

Meghachandra also contended that the current flood situation in Manipur could have been prevented had the funds, totalling Rs 460 crore, sanctioned by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2022 for flood prevention measures, were not misappropriated.

In a post on Sunday, Meghachandra expressed that had the double engine government not "looted" the huge amount of money, the people would not be facing the difficulties they are facing now due to the flood.

He demanded investigation into where and how the funds had been utilised and exhausted.

Meghachandra continued that in 2022, around Rs 460 crore was sanctioned by the Ministry under the flood management and border areas programme.

The work order for the same was notified in 2023.During the session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly in February last year, the then Water Resources minister responded positively when a question about the programme was raised.

However, flash floods have once again wreaked havoc in the state.

As such, one can only assume that the funds have been misappropriated.

Thus, an independent investigation is necessary to find out the whereabouts of the funds, which was sanctioned for prevention and management of floods, he demanded.