Ukhrul: Ukhrul, home to the Tangkhul Naga tribe in Manipur, is known for its rich biodiversity, with thick forests and undulating mountains. The virgin forests have fed generations as their vital source of livelihood. However, over the years, the once-revered green forests and resources have slowly depleted and degraded due to the rampant cutting of trees for traditional jhum cultivation and other human activities. The environmental degradation in this hill district has become an increasingly pressing issue and has raised concerns among the local populace. With the shift in climate, the behaviour of the four seasons has also changed, and the annual rainfall has become unpredictable with erratic patterns.
Deforestation and unregulated sand mining/quarrying contribute further to environmental degradation in the Ukhrul district. These activities obliterate the natural land cover, leading to frequent landslides, mudslides, and sinking in many district areas. Additionally, with the inclement weather showing no sign of receding, many paddy fields were reportedly inundated and washed away due to the volume of river water flowing above the danger mark in many rivers and streams.
This EastMojo correspondent visited one of the major landslide sites triggered by heavy rainfall in the district, located along the National Highway 202A Imphal-Ukhrul road at Kaziphung Hungpung, about 5 km from Ukhrul town. Despite road clearance by the concerned department, a series of landslides have taken place at the same location in two months, which has not only caused inconvenience to vehicular movement along the highway but has also raised concerns over the human impact on ecological degradation.
During the visit, we observed that many families in the area have depended on sand quarrying activities for their livelihood for decades. The series of landslides and mudslides along the stretch is likely the consequence of the unregulated sand quarrying activities that have destabilized the compact sandstone terrain. Moreover, over 50 families residing on top of the landslide site along NH 202A are at great risk, as huge cracks on the surface are visible in the area. Two of the houses are left with just a few inches before they come down to the highway.
Speaking to EastMojo, the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul, Kengoo Zuringla, expressed concern over the frequent landslides and sinking areas in the district, damaging roads, homes, and even paddy fields.
The Deputy Commissioner also maintained that sand quarrying along the National Highway has been a significant concern since several houses have been constructed on top of the mountain, which can lead to a major disaster attributed to human activities.
It is worth noting that many major disasters in Ukhrul and elsewhere in the state often occur due to over-optimism about the risk of potential disasters, leaving the locals unprepared.
“I desire that the people in Ukhrul will also understand the environmental impacts that human activities bring about. Of course, we understand that these activities are required to earn a livelihood. But we must also ensure that our environment is protected—not so much for ourselves, but for future generations,” said DC Zuringla.
While appealing to the public to turn their collective complacency into action, DC Zuringla also shared that the district administration is planning to conduct an awareness program on sand mining, aiming to bring about long-term positive results so that the locals can manage the natural resources that are richly endowed to the community.
The landslides at NH 202A
Following massive landslides, the Lower Hungpung People’s Organisation (LHPO), the apex organization in the area, decided to ban all kinds of sand quarrying activities carried out along the National Highway as a precautionary measure to prevent unwanted incidents.
“Keeping in mind the welfare of the people in the district, we have resolved to ban the sand quarrying work along the NH-202A. This decision was taken after consultation with the affected landowners to protect the environment and the spring waters in the area,” said Yurthan, General Secretary of LHPO.
Meanwhile, 65-year-old Mary, one of the affected landowners from the landslide at Kaziphung, expressed dismay as her family is now left with no other means of income.
According to Mary, before the banning of sand quarrying, her family could extract sand for at least one truck trip a week, which they sold for Rs 13,000 to Rs 14,000.
“It has been 20 years that we have been engaged in sand quarrying work, and this place has been one of the initial areas where the sand quarrying business started.
It provided us with a livelihood until the landslide incident occurred unexpectedly. Half of the landslide area falls under my plot, and the remaining belongs to another landowner. Now, after this incident, our family is going through a difficult time trying to find another means of livelihood. With tears in my eyes, all I could do was ask God for help,” lamented the mother of five children when we met her at the site.
She further shared that if proper drainage had been maintained by the families residing on top of the site, such a massive landslide could have been averted.
“Since we can no longer engage in sand quarrying here, we are planning to carry out a plantation drive on our plot, including the landslide area,” said Mary.
For Ninghor, 47, it has been at least ten years since he and his wife entered the sand quarrying business. They have managed not only the needs of their family of six members but also supported their children’s education and contributed to the Church, village, and organizations.
“It’s a blessing for all of us, including the landowners, to have been blessed with an abundance of sandstones in our area, and I am grateful for this,” said Ninghor.
He also expressed that, unlike in the olden days when ancestors used cattle to work in paddy fields, the present-day scenario has changed, with people now purely dependent on machinery, which requires money.
“Moreover, due to environmental impact, most streams and rivers have dried up, leading to severe difficulties for paddy work. And even if we focus on our traditional farming, the yields we harvest couldn’t sustain us for the whole year,” he said.
The local miners usually work throughout the week, except on Sundays and during festivals. Their work involves establishing a pit or quarry from the bedrock close to the ground before extracting sand. This work is done manually, without any safety measures, risking their lives in search of a livelihood.
“I am scared looking up at the big rock hanging from the quarry, but we have no alternative way to earn money to support the family and children’s education. Since it’s risky to work under the quarry/pit together, my husband and I have to guard and observe the site while the other does the stonework. Usually, until the smaller stones start cracking, the big stone/rock doesn’t fall off immediately,” said Wortam, as she guarded the site while her husband dug out the sandstone from the ground.
No landslides without quarrying, say experts
According to Dr Weyepe N. Mekrisuh, a geologist, his preliminary observation from a geotechnical point of view suggests that the rock mass at the landslide site falls within the category of fair to good rock quality.
“So if the anthropogenic activities in the form of sand quarrying hadn’t taken place here, I certainly believe that this landslide would never have occurred,” said Dr Mekrisuh, urging locals to refrain from further rampant anthropogenic activities, especially in the rock section, in the future.
He further cautioned that from an environmental perspective, if this sand quarrying continues rampantly, it will have huge ecological implications and impact the livelihood of the local people engaged in agriculture and horticulture in the downslope.
“From a hydrological perspective, this sandstone bed is a good natural water storage, technically known as an aquifer. So when it rains, the rainfall infiltrates beneath the earth’s surface, and water is retained within the sandstone bed, which is manifested in the form of a spring in the downslope. So people must recognise the concept of springsheds to sustain water for the future,” he added.
It is worth mentioning that there are a couple of active spring water sources in the area, supplying not only the locals but also Ukhrul town, in addition to the Shirui water pipeline. These water springs also serve as the main water source for paddy fields downstream.
According to Sowung, who is engaged in the drinking water supply business, during the lean season from October to March, he could easily sell 60,000 to 70,000 litres of water in a single day, while 10,000 litres are sold during the rainy season. He has been supplying water from the Mayora water spring along the National Highway since 2020.
However, he expressed concern that the National Highway expansion might affect the Uningthou (Phoebe Hainesiana) trees growing around the water spring. Uningthou, also known as tree king or wood king, can retain large quantities of water. If the road expansion affects the trees, water recharge will automatically decrease, which may impact the livelihood of the locals and the Ukhrul populace.
This Article is written under the joint initiative of Directorate of Environment & Climate Change, Media Resource Centre Government of Manipur and Ukhrul District Working Journalist Association.
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