Why is Manipur’s flood crisis blamed on politics, not nature?

Every year, as the monsoon rains sweep across Manipur, the state faces a familiar ordeal: devastating floods that displace families, ruin homes, and devastate communities. While it’s tempting to blame nature alone, the truth is far more troubling. These floods are not just acts of God—they are a man-made crisis, rooted in a broken system of governance where political favouritism undermines the very infrastructure meant to protect the people. At the core of this problem is the practice of MLAs awarding tender or contract works to their supporters and party workers, choosing loyalty over competence, and leaving Manipur with drains, roads, and river embankments too weak to withstand the rains.

The tender allocation process, intended as a fair and competitive system to select qualified contractors for government projects, has been hijacked by political agendas. In Manipur, some MLAs exert undue influence, steering contracts toward their allies and local workers rather than those best equipped to deliver quality work. The evidence is in the crumbling infrastructure: small projects like drains and roads that fall apart within a year, and critical river embankments through retaining walls—vital for flood control—that fail when they’re needed most. This isn’t just inefficiency; it’s a betrayal of public trust.

The consequences are stark. Poorly constructed drainage systems clog and overflow, turning streets into rivers. Roads, meant to connect communities, erode into hazards. Worst of all, river embankments, which demand skilled engineering and durable materials, collapse under pressure because they were built by contractors chosen for their political ties, not their expertise. When these systems fail, floods hit harder, linger longer, and wreak havoc on a scale that could have been prevented. Beyond the financial waste—public funds squandered on shoddy work—this is a matter of life and death, with homes lost and livelihoods destroyed as seen in recent floods.

The ancient Meitei scripture Tutenglon recounts the heroic efforts of princes Yoimongba and Taothingmang, who dredged the channels of the Iril and Imphal rivers to prevent flooding, offering timeless wisdom on the importance of river stewardship. Today, we must heed this lesson and take bold action, declaring illegal encroachers as enemies of the state, for their actions endanger thousands.

Encroachment along the Imphal and Nambul rivers has turned their banks into a patchwork of unauthorised homes, shops, and structures, often built with local complicity or administrative oversight. These constructions narrow the river’s course, obstructing its ability to handle heavy rainfall.

The results are dire: recent floods affected over 1,65,787 people, damaged 35,342 houses, 115.50 hectares of crops have been damaged, and submerged key areas like Heingang, Wangkhei, Thambalkhong, Khurai, Porompat, and Bashikhong in Imphal East; some areas in Imphal West as well.  Critical infrastructure, such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and the All India Radio Imphal complex, has not been spared. The overflow of the Imphal and Kongba rivers is not merely a natural disaster but a preventable tragedy fueled by those who prioritise personal gain over collective safety.

Manipur’s average annual rainfall ranges from 1,250 mm to 2,700 mm, with Imphal district receiving around 1,480 mm annually, largely from the Southwest Monsoon between April and mid-October. This rainfall is generally sufficient for the state’s agricultural needs and sustaining its largely rainfed farming systems, where less than 25 per cent of sown areas rely on ground or surface water irrigation. The state’s water resources, including the Barak and Manipur River basins, hold approximately 1.8487 million hectare meters, adequate for agrarian activities when managed effectively. 

Manipur’s rainfall history tells a story of dramatic shifts, ranging from a low 1,033.6 mm in 2006 to a peak of 2,439.44 mm in 2017. While most years provide ample water for farming, variability is evident—2019 saw just 1,137.11 mm, while 2020 rebounded to 1,627.1 mm. More recently, advanced weather monitoring tracks rainfall by the hour, aiding flood predictions. In Imphal East, for instance, May 17, 2025, brought 36.7 mm of rain, dropping sharply to 4.1 mm the next day.

Despite adequate rainfall, Manipur faces challenges due to erratic monsoon patterns and poor water management. For instance, a 64 per cent rainfall deficit was reported in 2021, delaying paddy sowing, while excessive rains in other years contribute to flooding due to inadequate infrastructure, like weak river embankments. Deforestation and encroachment on riverbanks further exacerbate flood risks, reducing soil water retention and causing rapid runoff. 

The human cost is what makes this so urgent. Floods aren’t just water—they’re a force that upends lives. Families lose everything when embankments give way, and farmers watch crops drown because drainage systems can’t cope. This isn’t about abstract policy failures; it’s about real people abandoned by a system that values patronage over their safety.

Change won’t be easy. Political interests are deeply entrenched, and the temptation to reward supporters or workers runs strong. Some might argue that MLAs are just helping their local constituencies, or that the process is already transparent enough. But supporting constituents shouldn’t mean sacrificing public safety, and transparency is meaningless if it’s a facade for favouritism. The stakes are too high for excuses.

Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh played a transformative role in addressing the persistent flooding issues in Lamphelpat areas, a critical area in Imphal where reputable institutions like RIMS, CAU, NIT, DC, and various offices are situated.  For almost 3-4 decades, the area was frequently inundated due to water runoff from the Langol Hills. His leadership in the Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project, combined with his broader urban development initiatives, integrated ancestral knowledge of water management with modern engineering to create a sustainable solution for flood control.

Launched to restore the ecological and functional capacity of the Lamphelpat wetland, the project aimed to address the chronic flooding that plagues low-lying areas around Lamphelpat, particularly during the monsoon season when water from the Langol Hills overwhelms the Nambul and Luwangli rivers.

The project encompassed the restoration of the Lamphelpat water bodies, which historically served as a natural reservoir to absorb excess water. By increasing the wetland’s detention capacity to 14 million cubic meters, the initiative aimed to manage peak monsoon flows and prevent waterlogging in urban areas.

A critical factor in the flooding of Lamphelpat areas was the inadequate discharge capacity of the Samusang Uku, a culvert-drainage point connecting the Lamphelpat wetland to downstream channels. Historical data from the 2015 and 2018 floods revealed their limitations: in 2015, rainfall of 1131 mm overwhelmed the system with a discharge capacity of only 31.2 cubic meters per second, and in 2018, 1974 mm of rainfall faced a mere 18.3 cubic meters per second. This bottleneck caused severe waterlogging in Imphal’s urban core.

The Imphal and Nambul rivers, flowing through the heart of Imphal city, is a vital lifeline for Manipur, sustaining communities and ecosystems alike. Yet, its banks are under relentless threat from illegal encroachments that choke its natural flow, weaken embankments, and amplify the devastation of floods. Recent heavy rains, lasting just two to three days, have exposed the catastrophic consequences of this human-made crisis, with breached riverbanks and overflowing waters inundating homes and farmlands across Imphal.

More monsoon rains will arrive in the State, and if concrete actions are not taken, the same flood story will return. Therefore, the present Presidential Rule’s government must act with urgency and resolve. Illegal encroachers should be declared enemies of the state, not out of malice but to highlight the gravity of their actions, which imperil thousands. A single illegal structure can trigger a cascade of flooding, destroying homes, crops, and livelihoods.

Under N Biren’s leadership, the rejuvenation project prioritised upgrading the Samusang Uku and associated drainage channels. The initiative included widening and deepening drainage systems to improve outflow, ensuring that excess water from the Langol Hills could be efficiently channelled away from Lamphelpat. Similar projects were also started in Waithou, and the state needs many water bodies to conserve the rainwater waters which must be used for farming and other usages.

Former Minister Awangbow Newmai highlighted that widespread deforestation and riverbank encroachments, coupled with mass poppy plantations, have intensified flooding in the state. Each year, approximately 420 square kilometres of forest are lost, threatening a “severe imbalance of nature” within a decade if unchecked. According to the India State of Forest Report 2021, Manipur lost 249 square kilometres of forest cover between 2019 and 2021, a stark contrast to the national trend of a 2,261-square-kilometre gain in forest and tree cover.

Deforestation exacerbates this vulnerability by removing tree roots that anchor soil, leading to catastrophic landslides. The 2022 Noney landslide, one of the deadliest in recent memory, killed 61 people, including 30 Territorial Army personnel, at a railway construction site in Tupul. Triggered by excessive rainfall, long-term exposure of cut hill slopes, and deforestation, the landslide created a temporary dam on the Ijei River, raising fears of downstream flooding.

Every year, Manipur hosts a spectacle of mass tree plantations. Government officials, NGOs, and eager volunteers come together to plant thousands of saplings, their efforts celebrated with photo opportunities and glowing media coverage. These events project an image of environmental stewardship, a united front against deforestation. But beneath this green façade lies a troubling truth: many of these trees fail to survive, and Manipur’s forest cover continues to shrink. Are these plantation drives truly about restoring our forests, or are they little more than performative acts designed to meet targets and soothe public conscience?

The scale of these efforts is impressive on paper. According to climate activist Licypriya Kangujam, 6.7 million trees were planted across 22,730 hectares in Manipur between 2017 and 2021. That’s a number meant to inspire hope. Yet, the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 delivers a stark counterpoint: forest cover across the northeastern states, including Manipur, is declining. If millions of trees are being planted, why are our forests still disappearing?

Manipur must follow strict enforcement, which is non-negotiable. The Madras High Court’s directive to clear encroachments along the Adyar River within three months sets a precedent that Manipur can follow. Bulldozers must roll in, and illegal structures must be demolished without delay. Second, the state must invest in strengthening river infrastructure. Incomplete retaining walls along the Nambul and Imphal rivers, as highlighted in public discourse, must be completed urgently. Embankments need regular maintenance to withstand heavy rains, and early warning systems can help communities prepare for potential flooding. Finally, public awareness and accountability are crucial. Local corruption, often cited as a factor enabling encroachment, must be rooted out through transparent governance and community vigilance.

The ancient Meitei text, Tutenglon, reminds us that river management is not a modern concept but a practice rooted in Manipur’s history. The saga of Yoimongba and Taothingmang, who dredged the Iril and Imphal rivers to clear silt and prevent floods, underscores the ancient Meitei recognition of the need to maintain free-flowing rivers. This historical precedent contrasts starkly with today’s reality, where encroachments obstruct the natural flow of the rivers in Manipur, leading to breached embankments and widespread inundation. The failure to heed such ancient wisdom has left Manipur vulnerable to recurring floods, with each rainy season bringing fresh misery.

There’s a way forward, but it demands courage. Manipur needs a reformed tender process—one that’s transparent, merit-based, and free from political meddling. Contracts should go to the most qualified bidders, not the most loyal party workers. Independent oversight bodies must monitor the system, ensuring projects meet high standards. Regular audits and technical evaluations can root out corruption and prioritise expertise over influence. These aren’t radical ideas—they’re common-sense fixes to a broken status quo.

This isn’t just about building stronger retaining walls; it’s about rebuilding trust in governance and setting a standard for others to follow. The floods tearing through Manipur aren’t inevitable. They’re the result of choices—choices that can and must change. It’s time for the state’s leaders to act, not for their political allies, but for the people they serve. Anything less is a failure they can’t afford to repeat.