Water is life : CM on World Water Day
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, March 23 2023: "Water is life and we cannot survive without water", Chief Minister N Biren Singh said yesterday at a World Water Day observation and further urged the people to understand the importance of water.

A State level awareness campaign on "World Water Day 2023" under the theme 'Accelerating Change' was organised by the Public Health Engineering Department at Khuman Lampak yesterday.

The Chief Minister also flagged off a bike rally as part of the World Water Day.

The rally concluded at Sendra, Bishnupur.

Speaking as the chief guest of the observation, the Chief Minister stressed that forest and trees are integral to the water cycle and the Government has been laying emphasis on Green Mission Manipur since the beginning of the previous term.

Water is life : CM on World Water Day

The call to preserve and conserve reserved forest and protected forest area is for the people, specially those living nearest to the forest cover, he said adding that these people should protect the forest covers.

The Chief Minister also expressed his desire for engineers and officials of PHE, Water Resources and Forest to organise rallies to the hills where there is massive deforestation and create awareness among the villagers on the importance of trees and instill a sense of ownership for the forest covers amongst them.

Further urging the people to use water wisely, the Chief Minister said that the Government is also putting efforts to provide sufficient water to the people.

During the recent lean period, the Government brought water from Thoubal Project and created a reservoir at the Chingkhei Ching water treatment plant and installed filling points at Khuman Lampak, he said.

Civilisation is not just infrastructural development but also about people having civic sense, he said urging the people against polluting river water by washing clothes in the river or leaking septic tanks into the river.

Biren also elaborated on the impact of illegal drugs in the society.

He highlighted the need to identify addicts so that local clubs and organisations can offer proper counselling and care without any victimisation or humiliation to the families with addicts and help their recovery.

Speaking on Har Ghar Jal Mission, the Chief Minister said almost 75 per cent of laying of pipes has been completed but it is no use if there is no water source.

He further encouraged the people to plant more trees and develop small tree covers in the valley areas also.

Noting that a large number of ponds and other water bodies were filled up to construct community halls, the Chief Minister urged the people against filling up water bodies.

He said that the Government has been planning to rejuvenate Lamphelpat and other water bodies and preserve and protect Loktak Lake.