Inadequate supply dogs PHED
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 28 2013 : PHED staff have been facing severe difficulties as they do not have adequate quantities of chemi-cals needed for treatment of raw water because of insufficient supply by suppliers.

According to a source in Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), raw water drawn up from different water sources at the present juncture are very dirty and muddy being rainy season.

Water drawn up from different water sources are muddy to the level of 300 JTU (Jackson Turbidity Unit).

Apart from the high level of turbidity, the level of contamination is also high.

Being rainy season, water drawn up from hill water sources as well as rivers are quite muddy.

On account of such high level of turbidity, Kangchup Water Supply Scheme which treats 23.61 MLD (Million Litre Per Day) of raw water and Singda Water Supply Scheme which treats 18 MLD of raw water require around 1000 Kgs of chemicals (lime, alum and bleaching powder) every day.

Medium capacity water supply schemes of Koirengei, Porompat and Canchipur require the same quantity of chemicals.

File picture of Singda Dam

The quantity of chemicals needed at the water supply plants would come down during dry season, explained the source.

Although there is greater demand of the chemicals during rainy season, suppliers are unable to ship in adequate quantity of chemicals because of hike in the prices of the particular chemicals, rising (unofficial) expenditures and pathetic conditions of the highways.

Rates of chemicals supplied by suppliers to PHED was fixed more than 10 years back.

The rates fixed by the department at that time was Rs 1.60 for one Kg of lime, Rs 13.50 for one Kg of alum and Rs 28.35 for one Kg of bleaching powder.

There are neither stockists nor dealers of these chemicals at Imphal.

The nearest point for procuring these chemicals is at Guwahati.

The suppliers too are facing difficulties as they are still paid the rates fixed 10 years back.

Generally, these chemicals are shipped in along Imphal-Dimapur highway.

Suppliers do not like to take Imphal-Jiribam highway because the transportation charge higher at the latter route apart from its deplorable condition.

Imphal-Dimapur too is not free from obstacles.

In addition to bandhs, blockades and landslides which cut off the highway for days, the suppliers are forced to spend substantial amount of money on unofficial expenditures.

Like other transporters, transportation of chemicals was suspended for almost a month when a portion of Imphal-Dimapur highway sunk near Heritage village, Kohima.

For all these reasons, the suppliers are unable to supply the chemicals in adequate quantity which means extra headache for PHED authority for the staff working in treatment plants have been demanding chemicals every now and then.

To avert any situation of total unavailability of the chemicals, it is crucial to revise the rates fixed 10 years back but still in force, said the source.

Moreover, it is important to procure necessary quantity of the chemicals during November-February when dem- and for the same chemicals is lower, added the source.

Another PHED official confirmed about complaints from various Imphal residents about unhygienic water in their taps.