Don't turn floods into picnic spots: Affected folks
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 03 2025: Onlookers who flocked to flooded areas to witness the flood and catch fish disrupted traffic and caused significant inconvenience to flood victims.

Water from the breached sections of Imphal, Kongba, and Iril Rivers, which flooded several areas in Imphal East, flowed towards low-lying areas, gradually inundating them.

Kongba River, whose embankment had collapsed at Kongba Irong the previous morning, flooding areas like Kajipat, Kitnapanung, Loumanbi, and Bashikhong, has now reached Jubaraj Palli's paddy land and adjacent areas.

As flooding persists, many people are still flocking to flooded areas in four-wheelers and two-wheelers to witness the flood and catch fish, bringing their fishing gear.

Despite the deluge, Jubaraj Palli, situated along the Khongman Okram Chuthek-Ucheckon road, was crowded with onlookers and people trying to catch fish today.

The influx of onlookers in two-wheelers and four-wheelers, who parked their vehicles on the roadsides, caused significant inconvenience to people trying to relocate their belongings to safer areas and protect their homes from the floodwaters.

Traffic movement was severely disrupted in the area as there was little space even for pedestrians.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, a local whose house got flooded said that they are thankful to the people who came to their aid during the crisis.

He noted that while some people came to help, others treated the flood like a "fish mela," arriving in cars to catch fish.

He expressed disappointment that people from unaffected areas are coming to their locality to fish, taking advantage of the situation without understanding the problem they create.

He added that the onlookers not only made the roads muddy and slippery but also disrupted traffic flow by parking their vehicles haphazardly.

The flood is impacting the livelihoods of fish farmers, he said and wondered how some people are thinking of catching fish that farmers have invested in especially at the time of crisis.

He appealed to the public to refrain from treating flooded areas like festival venues, emphasizing that it only adds to the misery of the flood victims.

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