Devastated, flood victims now dreading future
Source: Chronicle News Service / Ngangom Suraj

Imphal, June 23 2025: Known for its pleasant and moderate climate, the state of Manipur is now witnessing a worrying shift towards extreme weather conditions.

The recent floods are yet another reminder of this changing pattern.

These intense weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, disrupting lives, damaging infrastructure, and threatening the ecological balance of the state.

Just last year, Manipur was severely affected by Cyclone Remal, which brought heavy rainfall, strong winds, and widespread destruction.

The aftermath of that disaster was still fresh when the state was struck again, highlighting a disturbing trend of back-to-back climate calamities.

This pattern not only poses a threat to the safety and livelihood of the people but also underlines the urgent need for stronger climate resilience, sustainable planning, and improved disaster preparedness in the region.

The recent floods in Manipur claimed three lives, displaced over 1.6 lakh of people, and damaged 35,193 houses in over 469 villages.

The state has also recorded the loss of 64 animals, damaged crops spanning 82.79 hectares and a total of over 100 instances of landslides.

For the flood-affected people, the emotional toll is just as heavy as the physical loss.

The trauma of witnessing their homes submerged and lives lost has left them devastated and anxious about what lies ahead.

With their past shattered and the future uncertain, there is a growing sense of fear and help lessness.

Many are concerned about how they will rebuild their lives and secure basic necessities in the coming days.

The urgent need for relief, rehabilitation, and long-term support has never been more critical for these communities.

Among the affected is Memtonbi, a school teacher, who described the harrowing experience of shifting from one shelter to another amidst rising waters.

"Initially, we moved to a relief camp when our homes were flooded.

But the floodwaters rose so quickly that the camp itself was inundated.

We had to shift again, with children, elderly, and even livestock struggling to find dry ground," she recounted.

Even after water levels of major rivers receded, many low-lying areas remained waterlogged for weeks, raising public health concerns, particularly the risk of outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria.

"The stagnant water is everywhere, and we are worried about diseases.

Fortunately, there have been no cases yet, but we fear it's only a matter of time," said Memtonbi.

Adding to the distress, Memtonbi shared that her kitchen garden - a crucial source of food and income - was completely destroyed.

"We haven't received any compensation for the damage.

It may not seem like much to others, but for us, it was essential for daily survival".

While some families whose homes were completely destroyed received help from the local MLA to begin rebuilding, many others have been left without support.

"There is a deep sense of abandonment among the people.

Every monsoon brings floods, but this year's destruction was unlike anything we've seen before.

If this keeps happening year after year, how will we survive? " she questioned.

As monsoon rains intensify across the region, the lack of preparedness in managing riverbeds and drainage systems has come sharply into focus.

Rivers have not been cleared of silt and debris ahead of the season, leading to clogged channels and rising water levels.

In many cases, retaining walls along riverbanks lack essential structures to reduce the impacts of surging water flow, allowing rivers to overflow and inundate surrounding areas with little resistance.

Environmental experts also point to the severe degradation of natural barriers that once slowed water flow in hilly regions.

Stones and boulders generally found in the mountainous rivers - helping break the current - have largely disappeared due to unchecked quarrying.

Additionally, deforestation has drastically reduced forest cover, weakening the ecosystem's ability to absorb rainwater and increasing surface runoff.

This combination of poor river management and ecological decline is contributing to more frequent and severe climate-related disasters, including flash floods and landslides.

Experts explained that force of water can be reduced and the effects of flood minimised if the riverbeds and drainage systems are regularly de-silted and cleansed before monsoon seasons, while stressing the need to construct retaining walls with built-in energy dissipators like gabion structures or check dams to slow water flow and to also reintroduce boulders and stones in hilly riverbeds to naturally regulate water speed and reduce erosion.

Launching of afforestation and reforestation programmes, especially in degraded hill areas is another crucial requirement.

Experts opined that protecting existing forests through community forest management along with stricter anti-encroachment policies is necessary, while also noting watershed development projects need to be developed to enhance groundwater recharge and reduce surface runoff.

Experts further underscored the need to enforce zoning regulations to restrict construction in flood-prone areas, promote climate-resilient agriculture to reduce dependency on vulnerable crops and minimise soil erosion, and suggested that enhancing early warning systems using real-time weather data and alerts for landslides and floods can be helpful.

"It is also important to train and equip local disaster response teams in each district or vulnerable zone, along with conducting climate education campaigns in schools and villages," they stressed.

While encouraging community-based adaptation practices, such as rainwater harvesting and contour farming, they pointed to the need for integrating climate resilience into state development policies and seeking funding from national climate adaptation programs and international aid to finance green infrastructure and preparedness.

By combining traditional ecological knowledge with modern technology and governance, Manipur can build resilience against future climate shocks while protecting its rich natural heritage, experts explained.

(The report has been filed under the 6th Manipur State Level Media Fellowship Programme on Climate Change Reporting, sponsored by Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur) .

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