Leimakhong
Town in Manipur, India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leimakhong is a small town in the Kangpokpi district[a] in Manipur, India. It is on Kangpokpi's border with the Imphal West district, approximately 30Km west of the Imphal city. It is on the bank of the Leimakhong River[b], a tributary of the Imphal River. The town is inhabited by Kuki, Nepali and Meitei communities. According to the 2011 census, the town had a population of 3544 of which 25 percent are Scheduled Tribes.[1]
Leimakhong contains the headquarters of the 57th Mountain Division of the Indian Army.[2] The military hospital in the divisional headquarters has been often used to treat injured personnel and civilians.[3]
Villages
Some of the villages in Leimakhong are:
- Leimakhong Bazar
- Prem Nagar
- Chingmang
- P moulding
- Khunkho
- Dwarka
Power generation
Leimakhong has the distinction of housing the original power generation capacity of Manipur dating back to 1930. Two micro hydro-electric power stations with capacities of 100 KW and 56 KW were installed here.[4] The original power station was washed way due to a land slide in June 1962.[5]
At present, Leimakhong has a micro hydro-electric power station with a capacity 600 KW and a furnace oil-based (heavy fuel-based) power house with a capacity of 36 MW. The cost of the latter is said to be abnormally high. In addition, there are several diesel power houses on standby for emergency usage.[6][7]
In January 2024, in the midst of 2023–2024 Manipur violence, the furnace oil from the power station is said to have leaked. It contaminated the Leimakhong river, causing a serious environmental concern.[8]
Notes
- Prior to 2017 it was in the Sadar Hills region of the Senapati district,
- Sometimes referred to as "Tumu Lairembi" river