Grandpa who do we blame now?

The politicians or the masses?

None like to be point

Or is it the joker? 

~Mawi Thomte

Standing on the bridge overlooking the Lanva River would not give the onlooker the thought that this was once a river flowing in abundance beautifully, catering the needs of the town and all the villages it flows through. The Lanva River, once a hotspot for the people and its adjacent areas has lost its pristine quality and become a dumping site instead. To tell the story of what Lanva was once is like narrating a myth, a folktale, due to its pathetic look now. A young river but has long history with the habitants of Lamka. And now, the river almost become a piece of history. It has become a concern for all but the work of none.

How many lies till it becomes the truth?  How many progress till we're developed? How many games till we learn to play? How many people to make a change? ~Mawi Thomte

Many reasons could be accorded for the downfall of the river. The withering process of the river is not natural but man-made. The people that are to protect and preserve it are the one that destroy the town heritage into a pitiable condition. The town filled with street philosophers that knows what happens around the world and lack not on the pool of debatable policies and a plethora of organizations, including NGOs and philanthropic organization continues to turn blind eye and remain dispassionate about the river and its continuous degradation. Lanva River suffers indiscriminately infront of their eyes, tangible, yet nothing has been done to save it. While it does not require an education or a special knowledge, experiment or extensive research to know that the river is in grave state, but takes an eye to see what is in it. ‘Climate change’ and ‘environment issues’ are not strange words but mistakenly viewed as a global thing, that a small town like Lamka has no contribution towards it. It is regarded as an issue to be tackled by the government and big corporate industries and that individual plays an insignificant role in it. Unchecked deforestation in the catchment area has its contribution in the depletion of the river into a trickle during summer and a moment of flash flood during monsoon. Afforestation program in the catchment area and along the river will help in regeneration of the river and check on further illegal encroachment. Restored biodiversity continues to remain a hope for Lanva.

Due to rampant quarrying of the riverbed for decades, it has had its impact on the natural depth of the river and affecting the ecological balance of the river. The river floor is unequally spread with certain places deeper due to the collection of sand and stones. It has been exploited to a large extent causing destruction and posing threat to the lives of the inhabitants around. The Government has had issued notifications regarding the illegal quarrying but blatant disregard for the law and failure to take action, the implementation of such ordinances are yet to be seen. Big businessmen flourish on the depletion of the River, truckloads of shingles are collected daily. The large exploitation of the river for sand and stones could not be met with the natural regeneration. Also, there are families that depend on the river for their livelihood, mainly the women forces. They collect stones from the river and manually crush them and later sell it by tin earning a marginal income for the family. Therefore, such intertwined and complex issues needs both subjective and objective way of handling so as to promote and enable employment while saving the river and protect it from being exploited.

The biggest threat the river has is of the excessive encroachment done along the river-way narrowing the water path causing disaster and unprecedented calamities. The impact of the flood is mostly felt along the Lanva rivulet, particularly by those who have encroached upon the river course. It has almost become a ritual during monsoon season of the flashflood claiming lives of young children and inundating the neighboring localities on the bank of the river causing casualties. Lives and property of the inhabitants of the area are put at risk. The river becomes a natural time bomb ready to explode during monsoon when the town experience incessant torrential rain causing flood throughout the town. The authorities are failing to act against the encroachers and turn blind eye on the rivers being encroached, as inhabitants conveniently extend their land. The wealthiest are able to construct embankment and protect themselves from the seasonal strong flow of the water current, however the poor and weak houses that has minimal protection against the river are badly affected and often have to seek shelter elsewhere during the rainy season. In places that doesn’t have the luxury of embankments, they have to deal the double force and flood becomes a disaster.

The dire state of Lanva River has not been made a political concern because the most effected people are ignorant and the rich and policy makers gain from it. Unsurprisingly, the river is a reflection of fail policies and misadministration of the town. It is not just a result of ignorance and negligence, but of shrewd and selfish policies of the town’s big ‘fishes’. Incomprehensible and unplanned project that does not attribute to development but destruction of the river is an evident sight. Retaining walls on the riverbed demarcating the private land and unnecessary dams could be seen constructed along the route. In some places the space between the retaining wall has the same size  to that of drainage/nullah and the river lost its name. It is made to fight for its areas against the humans.

“Embankments confined rivers and cause them to rise higher and flow faster”. - Charles Ellet Jr. Without embankments river flows naturally. The extensive encroachment has made it needful in some areas and while such construction should not be a necessity at first. Clearly, it was channel of income for some contractor that knows the ‘system’ and how to deceive it. Considering the contractor is unaware of the numerous laws, as usually seen in Manipur, the agency that allow such constructions to take place is questionable, a blatant violation of the law. Small dams are constructed on the river along the route. They may have had their purposes but the question remains, Is it necessary? The recently built dam on the down shore of the river that is to serve as an irrigation purpose for the agricultural land is farcical. It lies in the low lying areas adjacent to the road and clogs the water, obstructing the free flow. The water blocked is filled with garbage and algae, making it unhygienic and reeks the area of foul smell. And it doesn’t have a side-wall built to prevent water from flooding the muddy road Unfortunately, we have a lawless society supported by state lawlessness.

Grandpa, will nature take its course again? Or the modernity takes it all? Do people ever really Love? Was it said more but never enough? ~Mawi Thomte

What could be seen and felt by all is the turning of the river into a dumping site during dry season. Dumping of garbage on the river and riverbed close to the habitat area has polluted the river and contaminate it. Household wastes and waste from commercial houses by the riverside are discharges directly into it. Sights of solid waste dumped on the river could be seen through the length and breadth of the river. The people need to be educated on the risk it possess and strict regulations against the matter is the need of the hour- on what immediate measures could be done to save Lanva River. Earlier, river water was fit even for kitchen use, however, it become so polluted for use and unfit. Mount of wastes are deposited into the river which is kept for the monsoon rain to perform its seasonal cleansing. The government, community organizations and youth clubs has, so far, fail to check the depletion of the river cause by dumping of garbage. The people remain ignorant and uncooperative. The town has been facing scarcity of potable water and is on the verge of facing water scarcity if no proper measures are taken into. Increase in water supply related industries is a worrisome and unwelcomed growth as a resource that was in abundance for all becomes a scarcity due to our ignorance. It further adds burden to the environment as it is said bottled water companies do not produce water, they produce plastic bottles. “Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink”- ST Coleridge ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.

Lanva River, if it continues to be exploited and remains unchecked, will not survive another decade. The river run dries except during monsoon, when then, experience a strong flow of water current and runs off soon within days as the river ecology is gravely disturbed, and the riverbeds are filled with human habitation. The practice of quarrying, which cease in the town area, but continues in the catchment area and uphill posing grave threat to the survival of the river should be checked and regulate by the government. The philanthropic organizations should take the task of assisting the government and monitor the dumping of garbage by the local residents and impose fine to such individuals. Constructions in the name of development should be properly assessed and weighted on the actual uses and necessity and the cost it will concur. Wide awareness program and disaster management programs should be conducted among the townsfolk; especially to the people living close to the river, as a call for immediate measure to mitigate the disastrous nature of the river. The people continue to face the disaster and when calamities occur, the philanthropic organizations take up the role of management and response to it. Perhaps it’s time we stop normalizing the yearly destruction and encroachment alongside and act not react to casualties. We need to preserve our natural resources for the generation to come.

A river with such importance, that once has the life of the people evolve around it degrade into a despicable state is unimaginable. It needs the care and protection of all the people and calls on to the policy makers as well. Only the government will not be able to protect the river, the will and action of the people is also required equally—if not more. Save the environment for your livelihood, protect it and it will provide.

Author’s Note: 

This was penned down after a visit and seeing the pitiable condition of the river and the author doesn’t claim any expertise in the field. Thoughts are personal and not against anyone in particular, but if it hurts the sentiment of any readers feel free to take the necessary steps for the betterment of Lanva River and Thank you. Google research was done if any articles has been published and on news item, however as it was done randomly, sources are not maintained and kept. The article is on blog after a year since it was written and sources could not be retraced. For that I regret the ignorance on my part a year ago. Thankful to a dear friend Cindy for having this publish in her blog page.

                                     ~Mawi Thomte