Newmai News Network Imphal | April 27 People affected by the Mapithel Dam in Manipur expressed their hardships during a one-day consultative meeting held at Manipur Press Club, Imphal today. Later, the participating organisations submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur to address the issue. A preliminary finding of a “fact finding assessment of the impacts” of Mapithel Dam conducted by the Fact Finding Team for Impacts Assessment of Mapithel Dam Downstream People (FFTIAMDDP) especially in the downstream areas were presented and discussed during the consultative meeting. Since the blocking of Thoubal River by the Mapithel Dam from January 2015, many villages in downstream areas of the dam experienced wide suffering and survival challenges, according to the affected people. In the memorandum to the Chief Minister, the participants said Mapithel Dam has “undermined the livelihood impact and caused much impoverishment in the villages affected by the Mapithel dam, especially in the downstream areas of the dam.” It pointed out that the sand and stone brought down by the Thoubal River are now deposited in the dam reservoir. This has seriously affected the livelihood of most of the villagers who depend on the river and collect sand and stone for their livelihood and to support their children’s education. Mapithel dam today represents a symbol of destruction and miseries for the people in downstream areas, it added. The memorandum also mentioned that the Dam has affected the “safe and clean drinking water” sources and compelled villagers, mostly youths, to migrate out of the villages in search of alternate livelihood. The “irregular and unpredictable” water release from the Mapithel Dam reservoir has a devastating effect on the river flow regime of Thoubal River, impacting on agriculture land, it added. It further highlighted the health impact caused by contamination of the Thoubal River. It stated many women and children who went to the river for various activities are infected with skin and water borne diseases. On the aspect of safety, the memorandum said “the safety of children and youths, especially young girls, is a major concern in downstream areas.” The memorandum further said that, villagers of Leikoiching to Maphou complained that the construction of Mapithel Dam and the laying of water pipelines for the Imphal water supply from Mapithel Dam damaged the road passing through their villages. On the “challenges with the rehabilitation and resettlement” of villagers affected by Mapithel Dam, the memorandum said that “detailed downstream impact assessment due to Mapithel Dam on the loss of livelihood, children’s education, migration and social impacts, health and other environmental impacts is still absent”. It also said that a detailed rehabilitation and resettlement for the communities affected by Mapithel Dam in downstream areas still need be prepared. “If the Mapithel Dam is for progress and development of the people, the survival option of people dependent on the river should be considered and secured first,” the memorandum urged the Chief Minister. The memorandum also stated that the villagers of Tumukhong village are worried of “dam break” and expressed concerns “with the quality of dam construction, the collapse of a portion of the spillway and the leaks appearing in the main dam. Tumukhong village in immediate downstream of the dam always remained prepared to flee with high rains and floods”. The memorandum then demanded that the Government should conduct a detailed impact assessment of communities affected by Mapithel Dam in downstream areas in consultation with them. The Government of Manipur should prepare a detailed rehabilitation and resettlement and alternative livelihood means for villagers affected by Mapithel Dam in downstream areas, it added. The memorandum further demanded that the Dam should either be removed and the Thoubal River should be allowed to flow freely till rehabilitation and resettlement for downstream affected communities are provided. It also demanded that the Government should urgently ensure the right to education of all children affected by the Dam and establish adequate educational infrastructure, adequate number of teachers etc. Finally, the affected people demanded that the Government of Manipur should conserve the Thoubal River and promote its natural flow. Organisations which took part in the consultative meeting are Mapithel Dam Downstream Affected People, Mapithel Dam Downstream Affected Village Level Committee, All Manipur Women Voluntary Association, Committee on Human Rights, Irabot Foundation, Manipur, Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, Thoubal River Nung Leingoi Workers Association, Thoubal River Conservation Committee.
