Imphal: A citizens’ group on Thursday opposed the formation of an India-Bangladesh joint sub-group on Manipur’s Tipaimukh power project.

The mega-power project, one of the largest in Northeastern India, is vital for meeting the increasing electricity demand in the region, but has been opposed by environmental groups and opposition parties in Bangladesh. “Any decision on Tipaimukh dam construction cannot be bilaterally decided only by India and Bangladesh as the land, rivers, forests and all resources in Manipur belong to the indigenous people of our state.

IMPHAL: There shall be no public hearings relating to oil exploration in Manipur. On Friday, a public hearing held at Nungba in Tamenglong district had to be wound up following protests from the villagers. The private company had plans to explore oil in 17 different places of the State. The Jubiliant Oil and Gas Private Limited was authorized to explore oil deposits in Manipur.

If the project was approved, exploration works would go ahead. However, there have been oppositions from the villagers in all public hearings. From the very beginning, the Committee on the protection of natural resources in Manipur has been opposing the government move, During the public hearing at Nungba, a large number of villagers had come to disrupt the proceedings.

'Public hearing organized by the Manipur Pollution Control Board to gauge the opinion of the people was a dismal show'

IMPHAL: The attempt of Indian government to explore oil at Jiribam sub-division of Imphal East district has started facing rough weather with all sections of people objecting to it. It did not come as a complete surprise that public hearing organized by the Manipur Pollution Control Board to gauge the opinion of the people was a dismal show. Except for the handful of protestors the hall was deserted much to the chagrin of the officials and oil exploration contractors.

IMPHAL: The cabinet sub-committee formed to monitor the scanty rainfall and make necessary recommendations was not happy with the insufficient rains this season. The ministers who made extensive tour of the paddy fields in the four districts of the valley recommended the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi to take steps for the declaring Manipur as the drought hit State. In all public statements and official communications they referred to the situation in the State as drought like condition.

IMPHAL: Jairam Ramesh, the Union Minister for rural development, drinking water and sanitation, was obviously not satisfied with the slow progress of construction works in the rural areas.

New Delhi: Planning Commission on Wednesday finalised the annual plan for Manipur at Rs 3,500 crores for the year 2012-13.

This was finalised at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Ibobi Singh on Wednesday. In his comments on the performance of the State, Mr Ahluwalia said the State has been performing satisfactorily. He said the infrastructure gap in the State needs to be bridged on priority. The State should encourage private participation in infrastructure development

The Manipur government has miserably failed in containing the widespread practice of starting wildfire for hunting and clearing the mountain slopes for cultivation. The tribals have found that the ashes from the burnt trees and other vegetations are natural manure. The raging wildfire also drives away the terrified wild animals to a particular direction, where the armed hunters wait for the killings.

The water supply division of the Public health Engineering has notified the people that since the water sources had dried up the water reservoirs and supply plants located in some parts of Imphal can no longer supply water to the people. Meanwhile, government and private hospitals are depending on raw water supplied by the commercial water tankers. There are reports and photographs in the local newspapers showing these water tankers collecting water from dirty and polluted moats and ditches for supplying to the people as tap water.

IMPHAL: Hepatitis B positive has taken the scale of an epidemic in the tribal villages of Tamenglong district. At least one teenaged girl has died and 17 others have been shifted to the hospital.

The disease was reported from Marangching and some other villages around Noney. The prevalence of the disease was noticed by a team of 10 doctors who had conducted a medical check up. The official reports said that a 18-year old girl, Abisha Gangmei, daughter of Phamnamsom Gangmei of Marangching village had died of this disease on March 18.

IMPHAL: The Loktak Development Authority(LDA) has warned the people against consumption of fish which is being caught using insecticides in general and Hildan in particular.