Kuki Militants Destroyed Drinking Water Pipeline

Last Updated on September 24, 2023 by SPN Editor

Imphal/ June 8, 2023 (SPN) | In another shocking incident, Kuki militants sabotaged a drinking water pipeline that supplies drinking water to several villages in the valley, including Khurkhul and Kanto Sabal.

The water pipes were damaged and destroyed at Khunkhu Kuki village, disrupting the water supply to the Meitei villages. As a result, the affected villages are now facing a shortage of drinking water.

Khurkhul Gram Panchayat Pradhan, Irungbam Shanta, expressed concern that the act of sabotage by the Kuki militants has created a sense of fear and apprehension among the villages. With the water supply cut off, even the relief camps in the surrounding area are facing a shortage of water.

Usham Pishak, a woman from Ingourok Chingmang seeking refuge at a relief camp in Khurkhul, revealed that more than 20 houses in her village were burned down by the Kuki militants.

The villagers had to flee for their lives as the militants attacked and fired at their village. She and others at the relief camp continue to live in fear of further attacks.

Wangkhem Yaimabi, another woman at the Kanto Sabal Relief Camp, shared that an agreement had been reached between leaders of Ingourok Chingmang and nearby Kuki villages to avoid attacking each other.

However, the Kuki militants broke the agreement and attacked Ingourok Chingmang, even in the presence of the Assam Rifles. Yaimabi expressed disappointment in the Assam Rifles for not intervening and remaining passive spectators during the attack.

Despite losing her house to the Kuki militants’ arson, Yaimabi expressed her desire to return to her village once the conflict ends.

Earlier on May 19, villagers from Kangchup and Khurkhul in Manipur also reported that the main drinking water pipeline had been cut by suspected Kuki militants.

Usham Santi Khuman, a member of the Village Development Committee, stated that since the unfortunate incidents that started in Manipur on May 3, neighboring villages such as Khurkhul have been facing uncertainties.

He alleged that the Kuki militants destroyed Engourok Mahadev and burned Meitei villages.

Khuman further explained that the drinking water pipeline supplying water to Khurkhul, Kanto, and other villages was disconnected by the suspected Kuki militants.

Additionally, the drinking water pipeline in Kangchup, which supplies water to Imphal, was also disconnected.