Imphal: Commercial encroachment is strangling public land along Mary Kom Road in Lamphelpat. Despite the ongoing Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project, new cafes and shops are appearing on government-owned plots. Landfill efforts are currently choking a historic canal used by residents for generations. The site sits less than one kilometer from the Imphal West Deputy Commissioner’s office. Officials remain silent.
An Imphal Times investigation identified several illegal structures lining the road. A sign marked "Kombirei Dairy and Duckery Society" stands on one occupied site. Workers have dumped soil directly into the canal, threatening the broader flood mitigation goals of the government’s rejuvenation project. These activities compromise drainage and water retention in the catchment area.
Residents at the nearby National Games Village quarters watch the construction daily. Many are government employees who pass these illegal sites while commuting. Their refusal to report the land grab draws sharp criticism. The community expects these workers to protect public assets instead of acting as silent witnesses.
Authorities must now explain if any land allotments were authorized. The Land Resources Department and the Imphal West Deputy Commissioner face mounting pressure to clear the debris. The government should demand that "all structures erected on the encroached government land, along with the soil and other materials dumped into the canal and on its banks, must be removed." Officials should pursue legal action and recover restoration costs from the parties responsible.
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