Manipur Congress team visits flood-hit Heingang, slams water resources department for negligence

A delegation of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), led by its president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, visited the flood-affected areas of Heingang Assembly Constituency in Imphal East district on Sunday. The team included AICC member N. Bupenda Meitei, MPCC general secretary P. Saratchandra, and several party leaders.

During the site visit, P. Saratchandra — who previously contested from Heingang and serves as the MPCC general secretary — briefed the MPCC president on the extent of flooding in residential and agricultural zones caused by river overflow and embankment breaches.

Addressing the media, K. Meghachandra Singh strongly criticized the Water Resources Department for its failure to implement adequate flood management measures in flood-prone areas across Manipur. He attributed the current crisis to the department’s inability to complete critical retaining wall constructions, leading to riverbank breaches and widespread inundation.

He further pointed out that several anti-erosion and flood control projects initiated under the Flood Management and Border Area Programme of the Union Ministry of Water Resources remain incomplete. He noted that the Ministry had sanctioned ₹460 crore for flood control initiatives in the state.

Specifically, he questioned the incomplete work undertaken by Bharatia Infra Project Ltd. (BIPL), which was awarded a ₹168 crore contract in 2023, with a one-year completion timeline. Singh alleged that despite the timeline expiring, the works remain unfinished, raising serious concerns about accountability, particularly given BIPL’s alleged proximity to the BJP.

The MPCC president also expressed grave concern for those affected in other constituencies, including Singjamei, Khurai, Wangkhei, and parts of Thoubal district, as well as flood-hit areas in both the valley and the hills.