Restoration of Flood Affected Three Community Ponds at Khangabok, Thoubal District

September 6, 2017:

Restoration of Flood Affected Three Community Ponds at Khangabok, Thoubal District

Flash flood nearly one month back at Khangabok village, Thoubal district has left all the community ponds of the village no longer usable as they were filled with flood water. Flood affected families have severe constraint of potable and drinking waters. In the past, immediately after the flash flood there were relief water supplies and relief food items from local NGOs and trust. On July 31, Khangabok MLA O Landhoni visited the flood hit areas of Khangabok and donated 15 bags of rice, 50 kilograms of pulses, 10 kg of salt, 7 kg of oil, one bag of potato, 15 kg of onion, 3 kg garlic and 200 litres of kerosene for distribution at 15 different camps opened at Khangabok then.

As on today, there are no families either at relief camps or at temporary shelters, yet the whole population continues to suffer from acute shortage of potable water. Only Khangabok part 1 has limited water supplies while part 2 and 3 have no water supplies. Hence, majority of the population meets the water needs through the rain water they have stored, purchasing water from those came down to the village for selling using water tanks and by purchasing bottle water for drinking. While some families can use water cleaning agents at home, many can’t access to potable water on daily basis.

Thokchom Rabichandra Singh, one of the Dynamic Manipur members from Khangabok who is presently residing at New Delhi shared his concern on severe shortage of potable water of his own village with the Dynamic Manipur/ Helping Hands Manipur members who are working for a goodwill project called "Potable Water Supply to Flood Victims through Pond Restoration and Filtration Units – Manipur Flood 2015" with a mission to restore 50 community ponds of average sizes and distribution of 100 water filtration units at relief camps of several villages of Thoubal and Chandel districts. The project team responded promply, and visited the location on September 2 and coordinated with local volunteers for a mission to treat three important ponds of Khangabok namely, Laipat Leikai Pukhri, Tangkha Leikai Pukri and Eastern Star Pukhri.

On September 6, 2015, DM/H2M members have treated these three important community ponds - the water capacity of these three ponds are more than 20 times of average pond size of 60X50X7 fts dimensions. These ponds are expected to be usable on the third/fourth days after the date of treatment. A total of nearly 30 volunteers are involved for the restoration of these three important ponds of Kangabok taking nearly 4 working hrs.

So far, 24 community ponds from different villages of Keirak, Kakching, Tekcham, Tentha, Leishangthem and Kangabok have been treated, which together would have water capacity more than 250 times of average pond size of 60X50X7 fts dimensions. Nearly 50 water filters are distributed among the flood affected families of Komnao, Tekcham, Tentha and Kakching Chumnang who are presently at relief camps or temporary shelters. DM/H2M relief activities have also provided relief materials to nearly 800 families since August 7, 2015.

This good will project of “restoration of flood affected community ponds and distribution of water filters to those who are living with harsh living conditions at relief camps” is possible to execute with the funds generously donated by Manipuri Diaspora such as San Francisco Bay Area Manipuri Community, Manipuri Association of Canada (MAC), Korea Manipuri Association (KMA) supported by Indians in Korea, North American Manipur Association (NAMA) and generous individuals from India and abroad. And the DM/H2M relief activities are also supported with financial assistance from generous individuals/groups/organizations from India and abroad.

Daily DM/H2M volunteering activities could be followed at FB.com/HelpingHandsManipur and FB.com/DynamicManipur