Hapta Kangjeibung languishes with no care

IMPHAL, Jun 18 : Hapta Kangjeibung, one of the most important grounds in the heart of the State capital, which normally serves as the venue for important functions including Manipur Sangai Festival has been left unattended with around 3-feet tall thick grasses covering the whole ground.
Thanks to the Government policy of closing the ground to public, the ground now looks like a thick bush.
Earlier, locals used to play different games inside the ground. However, the gates of the ground are now kept locked all the time and nobody is allowed to enter the ground.
The traditional houses of various indigenous communities which were constructed during last year’s Manipur Sangai Festival are now besieged by stubborn and deep rooted shrubs.
A local lamented that anybody who comes to Hapta Kangjeibung with the hope to show those captivating houses to the visitors coming from outside the State or children will certainly be saddened by the present condition of the ground.
As there is nobody to look after the ground, some spirited individuals usually climb the fencing to use the kuccha toilets kept inside the ground since Manipur Sangai Festival.
Another local said that the ground did not have such huge shrubs when there was no restriction on public entry and people used to play different games like football, cricket and even sometimes polo on the ground.
He said that soon after the end of Manipur Sangai Festival, the ground has been closed to public and it was opened once or twice when big functions were held.
He further alleged that the authority concerned has not even returned once after Manipur Sangai Festival to check the present condition of the ground.
Another local elder said that they do not want to go near the complex on the fear that there might be snakes inside the ground. He also expressed desire to keep the ground neat and clean so that passers-by and visitors may have a glimpse of the traditional houses kept at the ground.
The local elder questioned why people should not be allowed to enter the ground if it is properly manned by security.
Security personnel are still deployed at the main entrance gate of the ground to prevent entry of people, he said.
It may be mentioned that the State Government spent a huge amount of money to revamp the ground ahead of Manipur Sangai Festival last year.