On-off Senapati copter service leaves many in the lurch
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2025: Helicopter service between Imphal and Senapati was cancelled twice during the last fortnight thereby putting many people, specially Meiteis in a very precarious situation.

There was helicopter service between Imphal and Senapati once a week on Wednesdays.

Many passengers had booked their tickets for today's Senapati-Imphal and Imphal-Senapati helicopter service which is operated under the State Transport Department.

At the 11th hour, it was announced that the helicopter service between Imphal and Senapati has been cancelled indefinitely.

With Imphal-Dimapur highway closed to Meiteis by Kukis in Kangpokpi area since May 3, 2023, and the Government of India doing nothing to open the highway, the weekly helicopter service was the only means of transport for Meiteis staying and working at Senapati, Mao, Paomata, Laii etc.

Dr Prasanta Laichonbam from Phayeng who works as an Assistant Professor at Mt Pisgah College, TNK village, Senapati told The Sangai Express he booked a ticket from Manipur Heli Service to go to Imphal on June 11 (Wednesday) as the college has been closed for summer vacation.

On June 11, Prasanta went to Lairouching helipad by hiring an auto-rickshaw for Rs 500.But on reaching the helipad, he was told that the Senapati-Imphal chopper service had been cancelled at the 11th hour.

Utterly disappointed, Prasanta turned back to his place of residence incurring additional travel fare.

As he was told to wait for the next Wednesday, Prasanta had been waiting for June 18 to go home.

But he was informed on June 17 that the chopper service for June 18 too had been cancelled.

"Now, I must travel all the way to either Guwahati or Dimapur to reach Imphal by air", Prasanta said.

"Officials of Manipur Heli Service told me that the Imphal-Senapati chopper service would be suspended for the whole month of June.

This is rather disappointing", he said.

Many Meitei people working at private schools and colleges at Senapati for paltry salaries to earn their livelihood have been facing a huge financial burden after NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur highway) was closed to Meiteis since May 3, 2023, he said.

For Meiteis who must travel between Imphal and Senapati, they must travel by air incurring huge expenditures from Imphal, Dimapur, Dibrugarh or Guwahati, he said.

On rare occasions, people travel between Imphal and Senapati by helicopter but the chopper service between Imphal and Senapati operated under Manipur Heli Service is quite irregular.

There was chopper service only once a week (Wednesdays) but it was cancelled most of the time, Prasanta said.

If there were more passengers at Churachandpur, the Imphal-Senapati chopper service was often diverted to Churachandpur.

It was only when there was no passenger at Churachandpur that Imphal-Senapati chopper service was operated, he said.

After Imphal-Senapati chopper service was cancelled during the whole month of February, there was chopper service to and from Senapati till May but it was too few and far between, he said.

Meanwhile, several quarters have questioned as to why the helicopter service to Senapati where many Meiteis are working has been cancelled while helicopter services to other districts are being operated regularly.

They have also urged the Government to take up foolproof measures so that Meiteis can travel on NH-2 without any harm or sense of insecurity.

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