Lamka’s Roads Are Failing Its People

Lamka, the commercial heartbeat of southern Manipur, is expanding rapidly in size, population, and economic activity. Yet its basic infrastructure - especially its roads - remains painfully behind. Daily commuters already know the routine: jolting through deep potholes, navigating half-finished drain lines, and breathing air thick with dust or diesel fumes. What should be a bustling, connected township instead feels like a maze of neglected terrain.

The worst-affected zones, such as Rengkai Road, Ngathal Road, Hiangzou, Zoumunnuam, Hmarveng, Bijang, Tuibuong, New Lamka, Nehru Marg, Mission Compound, all the streets connecting Tedim Road and Tipaimukh Road, and other localities near Tedim Road, expose a systemic rot. The surfaces are broken, over-dug, or washed away during monsoon months. Come winter, the same stretches turn into dust corridors, contributing to respiratory issues among schoolchildren and elders. Even central Lamka, including the town’s main commercial stretches, suffers from recurring patchwork repairs that never hold beyond a few weeks.

Residents rightly question why the town’s infrastructure looks the same - or worse - year after year. The answer lies in a mix of uncoordinated planning and administrative indifference. Repair contracts are often awarded without strict monitoring. Utility agencies cut open roads for water lines, telecom cables, or electricity repairs without any obligation to restore them properly. Drainage remains the town’s biggest urban blind spot; waterlogging during monsoons weakens the roads, making even new blacktopping collapse within months.

Lamka’s condition is a sharp contradiction: a growing town with shrinking civic attention. This neglect threatens not just comfort but also the region’s economic future. Poor roads raise transport costs, reduce business footfall, and delay emergency response times. The town also shelters thousands of displaced families, putting additional pressure on its fragile urban systems. Yet the fundamental expectation of safe, all-season roads remains unmet.

Lamka requires more than quick fixes - it requires policy-level change. The PWD must adopt a “drainage first, blacktop later” principle. Third-party quality checks must be mandatory. Utility agencies should follow a 72-hour trench-restoration rule. Digital road grievance portals should allow citizens to upload photos for time-bound action. Most importantly, the district administration must prepare a 10-year road and mobility blueprint, factoring in future growth.

The people of Lamka have shown extraordinary resilience in tough times. They deserve infrastructure that respects their struggle. The call is simple: stop temporary patching and start real rebuilding. Lamka’s roads must reflect its aspirations—not its abandonment.