Internet shutdown affects life in Manipur
Imphal, June 10 (UNI) Frequent clampdowns on the internet in Manipur has seriously disturbed the functioning of government, private and business establishments. The latest ban was imposed on June 7 in five districts, including the state capital, following the arrest of a leader of a local organization.
The Net ban was followed by an indefinite curfew and a 10-day bandh by Arambai Tengol for the arrest of its leader.
The internet shutdown has brought all online services to a complete halt. As efforts were on to restore electricity in flood-affected areas , online recharge by customers could not be carried out. A person from Khurai said he could not recharge as there is no internet service and he could not go to the electricity office due to the bandh and curfew.
The Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) has a prepaid electric recharge counter at Keishampat , Imphal near Raj Bhawan.
Most homes and offices in Manipur have prepaid electric connections which automatically cut off after the recharge amount expires. Most banks are unable to give required cash in the desired denominations and only Rs 500 notes are available. ATMs are not properly functioning which has led to shortage of cash in the market. Online transactions could not be carried out due to the absence of the internet.
Long queues were seen in front of MSPDCL prepaid electric recharge counter at Keishampat , Imphal West . A consumer said it takes about two hours to reach the counter as the queue is very long.
Students and people who work online have been seriously affected as everything is done online. In 2023, Manipur faced internet blackout for 142 days followed by intermittent ban in 2024. The ban announced on June 7, 2025 is the first case of internet ban this year.
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