Posers raised over Govt failure to avert floods
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 06 2025: A day after former Irrigation and Flood Control minister Okram Joy contended that this year's flood is man made calamity, caused by lack of preventive measures on the part of the state government, questions have been raised over whether the State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO), which is the monitoring body for dams and barrages in the state, failed to function properly, leading to breakdown of a shutter of the Dolaithabi Dam and eventually, causing the deluge.

Most rivers in the valley area flowed at danger levels following continuous rainfall from May 27 .

To prevent any major disasters, several dams had been constructed at specific channels of the rivers.

However, the sluice gates of the dams/barrages were not opened at the right time and place, resulting in the flood.

According to a source, there is suspicion that the floods were caused due to the non-maintenance of a shutter of Dolaithabi Dam which developed technical snag some time back.

To prevent any dam related issues, SDSO was established in 2022 under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, a notification of which was also issued by the then Water Resource Department commissioner T Ranjit.

As per the notification, the then Water Resource Department Irrigation Circle No.2 superintending engineer Rohit Ahanthem was appointed as the chairman, along with two other superintending engineers as members and six executive engineers as dam managers.

The source continued that SDSO is responsible for monitoring and reporting any required repair works to the technical head of the Department.

Around Rs 2 crore are allocated annually in the state budget for maintenance of dams including Khuga Dam, Singda Dam, Khoupum Dam, Thoubal Dam and Dolaithabi.

Public sentiment suggests that if funds had been used for regular maintenance of the dams including repairing defective shutters and rusted pullers, the current situation could have been avoided.

This raises questions about how and where the money has been utilised.

According to a department official, who choose to maintain anonymity, no repair works have been seen at any of the dams in the state for the past two-three years.

After the shutter of Dolaithabi Dam broke, water rapidly flowed into the Iril River, raising its level within short notice.

The water then entered the already high Imphal River at Lilong.

The Imphal Barrage at Samurou Mana Oinam Sawombung was unable to manage the rising waters, causing them to overflow into the Kongba River, which also rose sharpy.

Consequently, the Imphal River breached its banks in Khurai Heikrumakhong, Heingang Makha Leikai Ahallup, and Kairang Muslim area, while the Kongba River overflowed at Laishram Leikai, Kongba Irong, and Uchekkon Takhok, added the source.

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