Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday laid the foundation stone and flagged off the Imphal Ring Road project, costing around Rs. 1,766 crore and being taken up with the financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) at Takyel Khongbal Maning Leikai, Patsoi in Imphal West.

After the flagging off ceremony, addressing the gathering at the formal function of the flagging off, Biren Singh said that Manipur has been passing through a rough phase and everyone is bearing the hardship.

Assuring that the state government would protect the state from those vested interest groups who want to disintegrate its unity, he highlighted the need for unity among people of the state and sought peoples support and cooperation.

He also said that the state government had been taking up many developmental projects which would improve the living standard of the people. Highlighting various projects taken up in the State, the Manipur Chief minister informed the gathering that the Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project had been taken up with an estimated cost of around Rs. 650 crore. The project includes 300 acres of water body area and around 140 acres for recreation centre, he added. He further informed on the plan of the Government to connect the recreation centre and the Imphal View Tower at Cheirao Ching through cable car.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction in seeing migratory birds in Lamphelpat Water Body, he said “migratory birds, which were seen earlier, could be seen these days at Lamphelpat after around 109 years”.

Biren also raised concern on the environmental degradation because of mass deforestation of forest areas and the water scarcity problem which the State could face in future, mentioning the necessity of preserving water bodies.

State Works Minister Govindas Konthoujam while appreciating Chief Minister Biren Singh for the various projects taken up under his initiative, to bring development with sustainable economy, employment generation and others, said that the Ring Road Project is one of the dream projects of the Chief Minister.

Speaking on the traffic congestion in Imphal areas and the pollution associated with it, the Minister informed that the plan for Ring Road Project was started in 2015-16, however the project was approved in 2020. He also informed that the total distance of the ring road project is 51.23 km. The most interesting part of the project is that it includes a noise pollution control mechanism, which is first of its kind in India and it will be an environmentally friendly road, he added.

During the programme, the Chief Minister also handed over cards to beneficiaries of Chief Minister's Widow Pension Scheme, Manipur Old Age Pension Scheme, Ujjwala Yojana and Ration Cards. Ministers, MLAs, Chief Secretary, Senior Government Officials and people of the areas attended the programme.