About three months ago, the first goods train arrived at the newly-constructed Khongsang railway station in Manipur’s Noney district. This was part of a trial run for the first passenger train from Jiribam via Rani Gaidinliu (Kaimai) and Thingou railway stations to reach Khongshang, covering about 62 km. The North Frontier Railways (NFR) chief engineer Sandeep Sharma, among others, attended the event. It seemed a matter of time before Manipur would finally get its dedicated railway system by December 2023.
The tragedy at the Tupul substation in Makhuam village of the Noney district claimed 61 lives. Fourteen bodies are yet to be found. The landslide also created an artificial dam, feared to affect the flow of the Aga (Ijei) River, an important river that runs through the village and many other villages along this rail route. Among the missing are two families who had temporarily settled around the station to make a living. A visit to the site four days after the incident witnessed task forces from the army, police and local student organisations camped at the site and working in the harsh sun and rain to retrieve the bodies.
As an integral part of the Act East Policy, this project is set to be completed by December 2023. The 111-km Imphal-Jiribam railway line was constructed for about ₹13,809 crores, involving the construction of nearly 63 km of tunnels, the longest being 10.28 km. All this in hilly terrain, in the young Himalayas, a range prone to earthquakes, landslides and other natural disasters.
The areas in western Manipur adjoining the national highways fall under very-high, high-, and moderate-hazard zones. The Tupul location was even identified as susceptible by the Manipur National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping project. The entire railway runs through the indigenous lands of tribal communities of Manipur. At the very outset, this project has been a risky one involving great loss of biodiversity, but now it is also beginning to involve great loss of human lives, culture and livelihoods.
Makhuam residents alleged in personal conversations with the author that no public consultation was done before the construction of the railway. An article published by The Print on July 5 reported the same. In the words of Jiandai Gangmei, the Secretary of the Makhuam Village Council, even after the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EI)A, railway officials never met the locals and there was no public consultation. The locals alleged the construction team did not pay heed to the villagers’ advice during construction. When the author spoke to the locals, they reiterated the same concerns. The environmental clearance process of screening, scoping, public consultation, and appraisal according to the Environmental Assessment Notification of 2006 was violated. Details of these violations are also documented in Jiten Yumnam’s book “Development Aggression.”
However, The Print article reported how such claims were denied by the NFR officials. They stated that the land was acquired after due consultation with the state machinery and locals. There has also been either silence/seemingly-forced condolences on the part of the Union cabinet, especially the Prime Minister.
Whether due consultation was carried out or not, one needs to understand the reality of such consultations. The social system of tribal villages in Manipur is such that decisions are made after a consensus among villagers and the village authority or council represents the decision. When people who have been deprived for generations are promised a better life through all the opportunities railways can offer, along with monetary compensation, it is only fair that they open doors for such opportunities. The state governments too, determined to improve the socio-economic conditions of the state, follow suit. It is in such harsh realities that the centre uses the power they have to push the agenda of “development” no matter what it takes, be it skipping safety check processes or out rightly denying the grave mistakes they have committed.
It is common to experience development works like that of the NFR in Manipur kept under the tight clutch of a complex network of local politicians, contractors and engineers. This powerful nexus of individuals and groups are well aware of the ground realities of the affected people but are in a state of deep denial pointing to the very modern and popular race for personal profit and careerism. In the end, this leaves only very little for the communities on the receiving end of development-induced problems.
Apart from skipping safety checks and public consultations, there have also been numerous bombings for tunnel creation. Also, the construction of such huge infrastructure comes with the problem of pollution and waste management which negatively impacts the lives of the local people. Two articles by Makepeace Sitlhou in The Wire back in 2020 report these realities faced by people and the environment. These struggles have been seen very clearly over the years as it includes the families and villages related to us.
All these show that indigenous knowledge has been wholly ignored where it should have been the most important. Time-tested knowledge and deep spiritual connection to the land and space have been treated as unscientific, outdated and superstitious.
In short, the construction of railways at such a fast pace and in such a disrespectful manner has left the Indigenous People in worse conditions than they started with. No amount of safety checks or compensation will be able to retrieve all that has been lost. But the state will continue to deny this, judging from what has happened up to now.
To entirely undo the coming of railways may not be a viable solution, but prevention of further calamities is still possible. Coming up with possible and alternative processes is thus a must for the constructive implementation of development works in the region.
Firstly, it is of utmost importance that the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and the related Central government authorities must, by any means, spend resources on public consultations and discussions with the local people about whether or not they would want railways on their land. Secondly, the entire process of EIA and related steps must be carried out before moving on to the next phase of railway construction in Manipur. This standard must also apply to any other project in the NER which is on the brink of losing its rich biodiversity.
Because more of such disasters are looming, both the centre and state should give maximum focus and media coverage to disaster prevention and management and keep the concerned government agencies on high alert. In this, local communities should be consulted and their knowledge and safety given priority.
On the other hand, the Geological Survey of India must urgently work to complete their early warning system for landslides to help reduce the scale of disasters across vulnerable states. The warnings must be heeded, and the government authorities must respond quickly.
Juliana Phaomei is a PhD Scholar from Manipur University studying tribal women and livelihoods. Sangmuan Hangsing is a Delhi-based independent researcher.
Also Read: Manipur landslide: Stop blaming Jhum cultivation, the problems lie elsewhere
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