AIMS writes to Waterways Minister to redevelop inland waterways

IMPHAL, Dec 5
The Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS) has submitted a memorandum to Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal to redevelop the ancient inland waterways in Manipur.
In a letter written to the Minister, AIMS said the revival of inland waterways can preserve many wetlands and lakes from the verge of extinction . It will not only be a safety valve to prevent flooding and drought in the State but it can also solve the water crisis in the State.
The riverine systems of Manipur falls into two major systems namely the Irrawaddy River System, where water flowing through the rivers of Manipur falls first into the Ningthi Turel (Chindwin River) and thereafter into the Irrawaddy River before discharging into the Bay of Bengal and the Ganga River Drainage System, whereby all rivers flowing west of the Koubru Range discharges themselves into the Barak River before joining the Ganges in Bangladesh before emptying themselves into the Bay of Bengal, AIMS informed the Minister in the letter.
AIMS further added that Manipur had a very diverse network of inland waterways between Imphal and Loktak, Dhansiri river to Brahmaputra, Maklang River to Imphal River, Tipaimukh-Jiribam-Silchar-Bangladesh through Barak River. Redevelopment of these ancient inland waterways will be a very economical means of transport and help restore the river.