All three regulators of Atoukhong mini dam which is yet to complete construction, reportedly failed to function, resulting in flooding and inundation at Lilong assembly constituency in Thoubal district while the rest of the state is hit by incessant rains in the past few days.
Locals have urged the department concerned and the chief minister to take action, and fix the regulators by finishing construction of the mini dam urgently.
A team of media persons along with locals went to inspect the dam, during which one Md Sirajuddin Khan, a local expressed that when the construction of the mini dam began, the people were dissatisfied from the start as they noticed that the levelling of the river and the water body were different in a large degree.
However, they decided to remain content with the construction since Chief Minister N Biren had laid the foundation of the dam, he said. The people were waiting for the construction to get complete in time with expectations that it will at least give some protection from flood, he added.
The people also urged to complete the construction before the election many times and the MLA gave assurances that it will be complete. However, the assurances did not materialise and the people are left highly disappointed, he said.
As all three regulators have failed, the locals are facing an artificial flood which has inundated around 10-20 houses.
The Ngangou paddy field also got flooded but some management has been taken up by using JCBs. However, they cannot wait for the JCBs to arrive every time, he further said.
He further raised the need to organise a public meeting with the contractors involved in the construction of the mini dam along with the executive engineers of the department.
