Gas and mud mix erupts in Imphal West during digging, probe on

The district administration in Manipur's Imphal West asked the ailing and people with health issues to shift to safer places after the eruption of a mixture of gas and mud in Langthabal Kunja Awang Leikai area since Saturday created a potential hazard, officials said on Sunday.

District officials said that the flare-up of a mixture of gas and mud was largely controlled on Sunday but efforts were on to fully end it.

District Magistrate Kiran Kumar said that the eruption occurred on the land of Yurembam Manihar as workers were digging to set up a hand pump for domestic use, affecting the environment, including air quality. The situation is currently under inspection by a team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and technical experts to find out the causes, the composition of erupted material, and the consequences of the incident on lives and the environment.

The situation is under proper scientific observation, the DM said in an order, adding that to avoid any potential hazards to the lives of the people living in the vicinity, they are advised to take certain precautionary as well as preventive actions. Considering the circumstances, people (especially those having breathing issues due to asthma or past Covid-19 history, small children or infants, or those in advanced stages of pregnancy), residing in the vicinity of the location (within a radius of 100 metres), were instructed to shift to a safer place until further instruction, the order read.

The vegetation grown in the area should not be consumed without proper washing during this period before further instructions, it added.