Revision as of 12:33, 25 January 2014

Imphal

Climate

Highest maximum temperarure of Imphal ?

By : Kh Meghachandra

It is often said that weather wise Manipur is quite an enjoyable place. However, with the onset of hot weather season, people in particular, scribes have been making queries about maximum temperatures. In Meteorology, March to May is warm weather season and from June onwards, we will have South west monsoon what we locally refer to as kumgi nong ( seasonal rain ). As per NDC, Pune record examined by me while on my tour to Pune, the highest maximum temperature between 1952 to 1990 is 35.6 c This record has been found beaten by record of 36.1 c on 28/04/1999.

Meteorological Office, Imphal was established on 19 Feb. 1952. I am a bit older than Met office, Imphal. This reminds me of Christopher Plummer 82 years old actor who after holding Oscar award for best supporting actor in the 84th Annual Academy Award function declared “ You are two years older than me, darling.”

In Meteorology air temperature at the earth’s surface is defined as the shade temperature measured in a louvred screen at a height of about 4 ft above ground. There is free flow of air inside and thermometers kept inside are protected from rain and direct sunlight. Air temperature though closely follow the ground temperature, differences are also possible due to nature of surface and horizontal transference of heat by wind. Highest temperature is recorded by maximum thermometer; it will remain unchanged till it is reset. After 24 hours, at 0830 hours observation, setting is to be done to enable to record highest for that day.

When the highest and lowest temperature in a day occurred? Generally, we find maximum in the afternoon period and minimum in the morning just after sunrise. Hence, for a day usually both maximum and minimum temperature can be read at 0830 hrs & 1730 hrs observations respectively. However it is possible to record minimum temperature at daytime and maximum temperature at night time and such cases are very rare.

Met office, Imphal has been doing eight synoptic observations daily, of which the 0830 hrs and 1730 hrs observations are major observations. It used to pass over phone the temperature records and rainfall data to AIR, Imphal , DDK, Imphal and Regional Met Centre (RMC), Guwahati or such information were collected by them including press RMC Guwahati after collection of such data from all Met Offices of Northeastern States, send them to DDK, Guwahati for 7.15 PM NE bulletin. It seems that AIR Imphal and DDK Imphal have not taken due care of as the information passed after 1730 hrs which seems to treat as belated. If it is so , it is really unfortunate. IMD under the Govt of India is for the weather services of the country. Maximum sometimes goes up even after 3 PM in the summer months according to the weather condition. However, efforts are on to make them available by 4 PM in all seasons.

In the weather report published in a local daily is seen that maximum temperature till 0830 hrs of 29th May is 35.6. It should be 34.7o which was recorded in the afternoon of 28th. This 34.1oc is shown till 0830 hrs of 29th and after that it has been set to record maximum for 29th and record for 29th is 35.6°c The highest temperature recorded by the maximum thermometer will remain stick to the value till setting is done. Hence Maximum temperature till 0830 hrs of 29th is 34.7°c.

In case of rainfall we need amount of rainfall date wise or for a period. We had been waiting to clarify this point for a long time through any media to clear the confusion over the public. We cannot treat rainfall like that of temperatures. In case of rainfall mainly, weatherman uses rainfall amount from 0830 hrs of a day to next day 0830 hrs as daily rainfall of the date. The rainfall on 29.05.12 was 15.4 mm. This is the amount of rainfall between 0830 hrs of 28.05.12 and 0830 hrs of 29.05.12. In other words, the rainfall for past 24 hrs ending on 0830 hrs of 29th May 2012 is 15.4 mm. However, if anybody like rainfall amount say from 0530 hrs to 0830 hrs or 1130 hrs or 1430 hrs or 1730 hrs etc, the same will be available. Now, let us see the high temperatures recorded by Met office, Imphal from March to September during 1952 to May 2012. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has tabulated mean values of temperatures using data from 1952 to 1980 and 1971 to 2000.

According to the first, the temperature 34.7°c on 28.05.12 is higher by 5.7°c and as per the 2nd one it is higher by 5.1°c. These are call departures from normal values. If another such tabulation of normal values of temperature be prepared using data from 1990 to 2011 or something based on latest data, we may get somewhat new values of normal temperatures. IMD will do it certainly and we have to wait till it comes out. As IMD has predicted timely arrival of South West Monsoon, let us somewhat settle for rain forgetting continuous high temperature days of May.

Imphal: Keithel, Khwairamband Bazaar

Unique women's market at Keithel, manipur

By Mithu Choudhury

NorthEastNewsPortal Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Khwairamband Bazaar, Imphal, Manipur is a marketplace with peculiar smell. There is hardly anyone who does not [need to visit] the market.

Khwairamnand bazaar or the popular name Ima market or Nupi Keithel is the world’s only all-women marketplace and one of Imphal’s main tourist attractions. This is because the most important feature of the market is that 4000 odd shopkeepers of Ima Keithel are women representing the greater mobility and economic participation of Manipuri women.

Not a single man is found selling anything here . Ima Keithel in a Manipuri word wherein ‘Ima’ means mother and Keithel means market. Irrespective of communities and religion, any woman can set up a store here.

Wrapped in scarf-like innaphis and sarong-like phaneks, their foreheads marked with elegant streaks of sandal paste and their teeth stained from chewing kwa (betel), Imphal’s mothers get ready for another day of business. Today, located in four concrete structures in Imphal’s Khwairamband Bazaar, it is one of the city’s unique travel experiences.

The goods sold

You can get anything and everything at Ima Keithel. If in one, corner, a woman is busy weighing a kilo of fish, in another corner amidst the cacophony, a woman can be found knitting and selling freshly made woollens to happy customers. One can easily find items ranging from food items such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and dried fish to local herbs to clothes and woolens, and traditional costumes. Metal and bamboo items are also found in the shops.

The market consists of two main sections -one where the vegetables, fruits and necessary items are sold and the other where the handloom product of the state is sold. Ima market displays local culture, tradition and biodiversity. Products sold here are mostly local products.

History, origin and antiquity

There is no clear indication of the beginning of the market. Ima Keithel or the Mother’s Market has long been a part of Manipuri tradition, by some accounts dating back to the 16th century [with records dating to the early 1900s].

The earliest indication of barter system in Manipur can be traced during the reign of Meidingu Thangwai Ningthouba in 1805. Many markets were established during 1592-1652 in different places for business transaction. Researchers indicated that the Gazetteer of Manipur 1786 indicates that all the marketing of the country was conducted by women in open air and markets were mostly held in morning time.

In between 1948-52, a proposal came from some local rich persons in connivance with the petty alien trades to demolish the existing shed. But women were not outnumbered and were successful in retaining it. Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE), Manipur , in a report published in 2005 pointed out that ‘these Keithel as not just hubs of commerce, but also of information exchange and socio-political processes’. During lunch or break times women discuss socio political issues and this flow of information keep them aware and empowered. It won’t be wrong to say that the Nupi Lan or women’s upraising against the British in 1904 and 1939 were organized and conceived from the market places. Thus women shopkeepers here are not simply business women but are leading examples of leadership and revolutionist.

The 21st century

Of late, the 3 (three) Markets in Khwairamband Bazar, namely Ima Market, Laxmi Bazar and Linthoinganbi Bazar constructed by the Imphal Municipal Council have replaced the traditional sheds of the Ima market. Shops are allotted to ‘licensed’ vendors while some women said that an average of 300 single women and widows, mostly the widows whose husbands are killed in fake encounters join the market to earn their livelihood. Most of these women have no license. In such a situation there is risk that these women will lose their livelihood. Several bodies have demanded special allotment or reservation for their community women. Kabui community has demanded 200 shops while Muslim community has demanded 9% allotments in the new complexes.

These small controversies apart , the market will remain a unique historic symbol of women empowerment and women’s leadership in economic development. This is something the policy makers of any country, regions can think of as a model for women empowerment and gender justice in the society.