In an effort to save the existing rivers, a public discourse on "Save River Mission" with special focus on "Aling River", "Agaah River" and "Khaphaanthuak River" was held at Longmai Bazaar, Noney district headquarters on Friday.
The meeting was organised by the Rongmei Naga Students' Organisation Manipur (RNSOM) in collaboration with RNSOM Longmai Luangrian, and Villages Council Longmai Area (VCLA), and hosted by the Longmai Students'Union (LSU).
The meeting decided that no part of the Agah River system will be allowed to be altered or be redirected to any place/places under any circumstances. It also decided that a signature campaign seeking the consent of villages likely to be affected by this project will be initiated and a memorandum will be drafted and forwarded to authorities concerned as soon as possible.
Quarrying in river bed using heavy machineries will be banned immediately. And, all kinds of mining activities in the river using heavy machineries, both upstream and downstream, except manually, will be checked and strong measures will be sought to leave the river system undisturbed for it to restore normalcy until better ways of minings are adopted, the meeting stated.
The organisers also stated that a new, more systematic filtration process has to be installed at T-12 Tunnel, Saheibing, where pollution from the tunnelling work is found maximum.
This matter will be communicated to the contractor who are executing the work/ project under NF Railway by the committee slated to be formed for the purpose of protecting and preserving the river system in Noney area.
In view of the inconveniences caused to the general public by dust and bad road conditions, the meeting resolved to communicate with the road construction company and forward a strong directives for completion of the laying of DBM by next week.
Alan Kamei has been appointed as Convenor and Richard Kamei - Co-convenor of the working committee on protection and preservation of river system in Noney district, the meeting organisers said.
The remaining posts will be filled in from surrounding villages upon subsequent meetings, and the committee will work in close coordination with VCLA, RNSOM and area's CSOs in its operation.
The meeting also decided that chairmen and secretaries of surrounding villages will constitute members of committee by default. The committee will strive to achieve the objective of a clean river and against the diversion of river system without any term defined.
The meeting also deliberated on the issue of shortages of staffs at PHC Noney. It urged the authorities concerned to fill the remaining vacant posts as soon as possible.
The meeting was attended by surrounding villages authority chairmen/secretaries, social workers, CSOs leaders and several leaders from local CSOs.
