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India Today
a day ago
- Climate
- India Today
Over 1.65 lakh affected, 35,384 houses damaged as devastating flood sweeps Manipur
Over 1.65 lakh people have been affected by the devastating floods in Manipur over the past four days, according to official sources. The flood, triggered by torrential rainfall and overflowing rivers, has caused significant damage across several districts of the state, particularly Imphal East. As per the latest figures, at least 1,65,936 people have been impacted by flash floods resulting from embankment breaches and the swelling of the Imphal, Kongba and Nambul rivers. A total of 35,384 houses have also been damaged till the situation has improved with time and water levels in the rivers are receding as a result of a decline in the rainfall, the disaster has already left a trail of destruction, claiming the life of one. Seventy-four animals have also perished and four people sustained injuries. A total of 706 localities have been inundated, with Imphal East being the worst affected. The authorities, along with help from the locals, have managed to evacuate 4,147 people. 82 relief camps have been set up to provide shelter and aid to the flood-hit have also been reported from at least 160 areas, affecting nearly 162 hectares of agricultural the Assam Rifles and Indian Army have continued their relief and rescue operations for the fourth consecutive day under Operation Jalrahat-II, rescuing stranded civilians from areas like Soibam Leikai, Porompat, and Wangkhei in Imphal was heavy rainfall in a single day — over 120 mm in the Kangpokpi catchment area alone. Normally, if there is continuous rainfall of about 45 mm per day in the catchment areas for three days, it results in flooding in the valley. This time, it happened all in one day, overwhelming the natural drainage system,' said Manipur Chief Secretary PK Singh to India highlighted the geography of the valley, where all rivers converge and drain through a single outlet to the Manipur River, making the region highly vulnerable to flooding. However, Singh noted that precautionary measures had been taken in advance, including monitoring river levels, reinforcing weak embankments and stocking emergency materials."Rainfall is unpredictable and this is a pattern seen across the Northeast. We had alerted people in advance and are prepared to manage any epidemic that might follow,' he stressed the need for a long-term strategy to prevent such disasters from becoming an annual occurrence that 'This cannot happen year after year. We are actively considering sustainable, long-term flood mitigation solutions.'Must Watch
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
COCOMI protesters lock central government offices in Manipur
GUWAHATI: The ongoing protests in Manipur's Imphal Valley intensified on Tuesday with the protesters beginning to lock central government offices. In a viral social media video, protestors were seen locking the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer after overcoming resistance on the way from security personnel. The protestors also locked the office of the Geological Survey of India. They put up banners there which read, 'President's rule must stop insulting Manipur's identity.' The Meitei organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) is spearheading the protests. It had on Sunday announced mass protests, rallies, torch processions, and sit-ins against the recent alleged instruction by security personnel to conceal the words 'Manipur State Transport' displayed on a state-run bus in which a media team was travelling to Ukhrul to cover the Shirui Lily festival. The state government has already ordered a probe into the incident, but COCOMI has stuck to its guns. It demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the resignation of Chief Secretary PK Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, holding them responsible for the incident, which 'undermined Manipur's identity, name, pride and respect.'
India Today
26-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Manipur Governor airlifted to Raj Bhawan to dodge protest over bus name row
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was airlifted in an Indian Army helicopter on Monday to avoid large-scale protests along his route from Imphal International Airport to Raj Bhawan, a distance of less than six Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a civil society coalition, led a protest on Tiddim Road, where hundreds of demonstrators formed a human chain to express outrage over the removal of the state's name from a government protest stretched approximately 5.5 km from the airport's departure gate to Keishampat Junction, with many students among the participants. The latest round of protests was part of a broader statewide agitation spearheaded by COCOMI. The group has demanded a public apology from Governor Bhalla and the immediate resignation or transfer of Chief Secretary PK Singh, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, and Director General of Police Rajiv unrest was triggered by a May 20 incident, when a Manipur State Transport bus carrying journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul was stopped by central security personnel, who reportedly ordered the removal of the word 'Manipur' from the bus signage. The move was widely condemned as an affront to the state's identity and Bhalla, who had left for New Delhi on May 21 accompanied by Chief Secretary PK Singh, returned to Imphal earlier today. The purpose of his visit to the national capital has not been news of his return, fresh demonstrations erupted along his return route. Protesters carried banners that read: "Governor must tender apology to the people of Manipur - COCOMI" and "Apologise to Manipur or leave Manipur".Security forces were deployed in large numbers along the protest route. However, in a bid to avoid confrontation, the Governor and the Chief Secretary were flown from the airport and landed inside the fortified Kangla Fort. From there, Bhalla proceeded to Raj Bhavan."We are protesting peacefully and democratically. Escaping by helicopter is highly condemnable. Why can't he (Governor Bhalla) face the public for what he has done? We will continue various forms of agitation until he apologises to the people," a protester told India Today escalated further when demonstrators attempted to burn an effigy of Governor Bhalla at Kwakeithel Bazaar. Police intervened and confiscated the effigy before it could be set on a seven-member COCOMI delegation departed for New Delhi on Monday for a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday. The talks are expected to focus on unresolved political and security concerns related to the continuing crisis in delegation is led by COCOMI convenor Kh Athouba and includes Yengkokpam Dhiren Meetei, L Jadumani Singh, Thiyam Bharat Singh, Laikhuram Jayenta Singh, Phijam Shyamchand Singh, and Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Manipur government orders probe into bus cover-up incident; COCOMI demands apology from governor
GUWAHATI: The Manipur government on Wednesday ordered a probe into an incident on Tuesday in which a media team en-route to cover the state-sponsored Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district was allegedly instructed by security personnel to cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' displayed on the bus they were travelling in. An order issued by Chief Secretary PK Singh said, "The Governor of Manipur is pleased to constitute an inquiry committee to examine the facts and circumstances around the incident." The inquiry will be conducted by a two-member committee, comprising Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar and Secretary (IT) Th Kirankumar Singh. The committee has been asked to look into lapses, if any, and suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such a situation and submit its report within 15 days.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Cams to keep eye on pumps: From Nov 1, no fuel for old vehicles in Noida & Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad: Starting Nov 1, fuel stations across the city will use automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to deny fuel to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles. The regional transport office (RTO) will install the ANPR cameras at 222 fuel stations across Noida and Ghaziabad before Oct 31, to restrict the refueling of end-of-life vehicles, in compliance with the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) from Nov 1. A decision on who will bear the cost of the cameras, whether the govt, transport department, or fuel station operators, is yet to be made. Regional transport officer, Ghaziabad, PK Singh, said the department has received the directive from CAQM and is currently working on a detailed report and budget estimate for the proposed installation. The CAQM, in its directive dated April 23, highlighed the need to phase out older, highly polluting vehicles, particularly those conforming to outdated BS III and BS II emission standards. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years in the NCR in 2015, but enforcement remains weak. As of March 2025, Uttar Pradesh has 12.69 lakh such vehicles — Noida has 1.8 lakh EOL vehicles, of which 1.5 lakh petrol vehicles are older than 15 years, and 30,000 diesel vehicles older than 10 years, and Ghaziabad has around 2.4 lakh EOL vehicles including 1.9 lakh petrol and 50,000 diesel units. Despite this, only 3,058 and 1,934 EOL vehicles were impounded in 2023 and 2014, respectively. CAQM directed NCR states to install ANPR cameras at fuel stations to block EOL vehicles. Delhi must comply by June 30, 2025, while high-density NCR districts (Ghaziabad, GB Nagar, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat) have until Oct 31, 2025. Remaining NCR districts must meet the deadline by April 1, 2026. From July 1, 2025, Delhi fuel stations will deny fuel to EOL vehicles, while other key NCR cities will enforce the rule from Nov 1, from Noida and Ghaziabad, cities like Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Shamli, and Muzaffarnagar also fall under the NCR region. However, many commuters from Western Uttar Pradesh areas such as Aligarh, Agra, Mathura, etc, frequently travel to Noida and Delhi. Vehicles registered in these districts are not currently covered by the ban, which could lead to complications if they enter Noida or Ghaziabad. Noida ARTO (administration) Siyaram Verma said since the initiative is still in its early stages, they are yet to discuss what to do with vehicles from other districts. "We will discuss this issue in our next meeting. Once enforced, we hope the message will soon spread far and wide," he added. Reacting to the directive, Dharamveer Chaudhury, general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Petroleum Traders Association, said the transport department has not yet held any discussions with the traders' body, and traders alone cannot ensure its enforcement. "Customers can sometimes turn aggressive when denied fuel. The department and police should convene a meeting to discuss the measures," he said. Meanwhile, Noida has implemented a "no helmet, no fuel" policy effective from Jan 26, 2025, aiming to enhance road safety by ensuring that two-wheeler riders and their pillion passengers wear helmets. This directive mandates fuel station operators to deny service to helmetless riders and to display informative hoardings about the rule. Additionally, petrol pumps are required to maintain functional CCTV cameras to monitor compliance and address any disputes.
