Kangla Fort in Imphal

Imphal, Dec. 2: The Manipur government has clamped down on what has been a regular practice for several years now ? bathing and washing in the moat around Imphal?s Kangla Fort, the state?s ancient seat of power.

Starting today, anyone found polluting the historic moat could face punishment for violating the ban.

The Okram Ibobi Singh government has banned bath-ing and washing clothes in the moat as part of the fort?s beautification drive.

The ban was announced in a public notification issued by the administrator of the Kangla Fort Board, headed by the chief minister.

Centuries ago, Meitei rulers dug two moats ? one outside the boundary and the other inside the fort ? as a security measure to protect their royal residence.

As the population graph rose and business expanded, settlements spilled onto the vicinity of the fort and local residents, mostly coolies and daily wage earners, used the moat for bathing and washing clothes.

The moat is also a supplementary source of water for residents of the city. They buy water collected from the moat to meet their daily requirements over and above the water supplied to their homes.

?The step to prohibit washing and bathing inside the moat is part of the beautification plan for the Kangla Fort being taken up by the board. These activities have not only polluted the water but are also an eyesore,? S. Bheigya Singh, superintendent of the archaeology department, said.

The notice said the government of Manipur and the Kangla Fort Board had resolved to keep Kangla Park, located between the moat and an arterial road, clean and pollution-free.

?It is, however, seen that some persons are found taking a bath, washing or throwing garbage into the water. Such activities on the part of the sections of the people cause damage to the environment of the Kangla. We, therefore, appeal to the public to refrain from indulging in such harmful and unwanted activities. Any person found to be indulging in the above practices will be punished as per law,? the notice warned.

The notification did not specify the type of punishment an offender could face, but an official source said those found violating the ban would be fined and could even be arrested.

Earlier, the government had removed hoardings and signboards along the banks of the outer moat as part of the beautification drive.

Last month, Ibobi Singh unveiled a Rs 200-crore renovation project for the fort, aimed at restoring its lost glory and transforming it into a major tourist hub.