Water crisis discussed, Govt asked to come up with policy
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 03 2014 : A one-day discussion on 'water scarcity in Manipur' organized by DESAM on Saturday among others recommended Manipur Government to formulate a State water policy and take steps to ensure extensive drinking water supply to the public.

The recommendations adopted during the dialogue facilitated by Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) at MDU Hall here also included controlling and regularization of the water supply by private water carriers and taking up immediate steps to ensure availability of drinking water to general public, and the emergency water to be supplied to the public be tested at water treatment plants.

As a short term policy, the Government should arrange at least one community pond and also one tube-well in every village and take steps to clean river-beds, the discussion recommended.

It further recommended that as a middle term policy, the Government should set up one sustainable water management system in each locality and initiate wide policy on family level rain water conservation.

one-day discussion on 'water scarcity in Manipur'

Preventive measures to curb encroachment of wetland areas and water bodies must be encouraged and the Government should concentrate on developing water bodies in wetland areas which are now on the brink and set up land use policy and wetland development board, it recommended.

As a long term policy, the discussion recommended the Government to take up environment literacy programme to spread awareness to the people on the need for restoration of the natural environment.

DESAM also decided it would seek the support of the people in connection with submitting copies of the recommendations to the Chief Minister and other Ministers concerned to implement them without fail.

Dr H Nandiram, retired Head of Department, Botany, DM College of Science, Imphal spoke as one of the resource persons at the discourse.

He said that although Manipur is located very high from the sea level, it receives sufficient rainfall annually and the State had never faced the problem of water scarcity in the past.

Dr Nandiram insisted that deforestation and massive destruction of wetland areas are the two major reasons behind the current water crisis.

Manipur had received adequate rainfall last year, he recalled and suggested that it is quite necessary to look into the cause of the water scarcity in the State.

He said, "Our forefathers knew the importance of developing water bodies like Ningthem Pukhri in Imphal East, which has enough groundwater.

But the State has saved only three lakes now" .

"Now we need to dig as many as 200 Ningthem Pukhri water bodies," he said.

Prof Rajmohon, Chemistry Department, MU moderated the discussion session.

Other resource persons who deliberated on the issue included Kh Pradipkumar, Associate Professor, Geography Department, Manipur University; Jhalajit, Associate professor, MU; Dr T Brajakumar, Research Officer, Environment Directorate; Ningthouja Lancha, editor of Kangla Lanpung; G Tomba Sharma, retired Lecturer, DM College of Science and A Bonbir, Conservator of Forest, Forest Department.