Chadong village in Kamjong District was submerged permanently by rising water of the artificial water reservoir created by Mapithel Dam of the Thoubal Multipurpose Project during 2013-2014. The project was pushed through by former IFCD minister in the Congress-led government and currently chief minister in the BJP-led government in the state N Biren Singh.
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Chadong villagers have questioned the rationality of Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurating the Thoubal Multipurpose Project recently even as resettlement and rehabilitation process of the displaced villagers has not been fully committed to by the Manipur Government. The disgruntled villagers of new Chadong rehabilitation site has strongly decried the apathy of the state government for failing to fulfill its commitments mutually agreed to as measures of resettlement and rehabilitation of the villagers impacted by the project.
Chadong village in Kamjong District was submerged permanently by rising water of the artificial water reservoir created by Mapithel Dam of the Thoubal Multipurpose Project during 2013-2014. The project was pushed through by former IFCD minister in the Congress-led government and currently chief minister in the BJP-led government in the state, N Biren Singh who had negotiated with the affected villagers to take up various welfare schemes to rehabilitate the village community in the new site.
Speaking to a visiting media team at the new Chadong rehabilitation site Saturday, Chadong development committee chairman Ramthing Kasar stated that the state government is yet to provide full compensation amount to the villagers, adding that the compensation amount to the affected families was handed in piecemeal, rendering resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected villagers meaningless. Around 455 families are now at the mercy of the government, he rued pointing out that finding appropriate livelihoods is a major concern with the villagers today as they have to begin from scrap.
The displaced villagers relocated to the present site when the water level steadily raised and submerged their village, Kasar said adding that since then the villagers have been living a tough life without the basic facilities. The government is responsible to provide basic facilities as per the memorandum of understanding with the village community, whereas, so far the villagers are bereft of basic health care service, supply of drinking water, education for their children, all weather road and livelihood schemes for the impoverished villagers, he said.
The state’s Water Resources Department which took responsibility for rehabilitation of the village community constructed school building for Chadong High School at the new site as part of the relief package, whereas, the school building which was completed in January 2020 has neither been inaugurated nor made functional till date, rued Kasar. A Primary Health Sub-Centre which was also completed in the same month last year neither has been inaugurated nor made functional, Kasar said adding that this showed the lack of responsibility on the part of the concerned department.
Ruing the government apathy, village chairman Yangkahao Kasar informed the media team that the Water Resources Department is yet to provide facility for safe drinking water at the new rehabilitation site despite setting up a pump house at the lake’s edge near the village. The displaced villagers have been struggling to cope with their lives during the past seven years since moving to the new site around 2013, he said adding that lack of potable water is a setback for the villagers.
The government must ensure to inaugurate the primary school immediately so that children in Chadong and the neighbouring villages can avail of education from the coming academic session, Yangkahao said while stressing that the village lack medical facility as the primary health sub-centre is not functional. The government has failed in its commitment to construct a new village church and to open an anganwadi centre for the kids, he said.
Local MLA K Leishiyo had written to Jacintha Lazarus, secretary, water resources department in June, 2019 to take up necessary steps to hand over the school building to education department for due inauguration, whereas, nothing has happened till date, the village chairman said. The village authority had also written to chief minister N Biren Singh in August last year to speed up the developmental works so as to facilitate proper development of the village, he said adding that the government has failed to response to the appeal of the villagers.
It may be recalled that the distressed Chadong villagers had approached the Manipur State Human Rights Commission in November last year to redress their grievances in the wake of government’s neglect in providing basic facilities for the displaced villagers.