Shoddy work by PHED infuriates villagers
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, February 01, 2011:
Blatant apathy and laxity on the part of engineers to oversee the construction of a water reservoir in Thungcheng village in Chandel district has enraged the villagers, who have now threatened to block the main water resource if the structures are not reconstructed as per required technical provisions.
In a memorandum submitted to the minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Thungcheng Youth Club has demanded for the immediate transfer of the present Executive Engineer and his Assistant Engineer, Nilamani Singh, on charges of "malpractice and negligence".
Thungcheng village is due to host the 5th Biennial Fellowship of the Annal community from February 3-7, in which more than twenty thousand persons are expected to participate.
Water supply which will be highly essential in the meet is expected to fall short, given the manner in which the only water reservoir in the village�completed sometime back�has begun to fall apart following the negligence of the concerned authority during the construction.
The newly constructed reservoir of water supply scheme under NLCPR executed by PHED which the minister himself inaugurated recently has collapsed for the second time.
The reservoir construction was supervised by a villager who is an employee on the muster roll rather than by any engineer.
No steel rods were used in the construction nor was any lintel constructed while making the reservoir.
The mason work too was sub-standard, it said.
The memorandum went on to highlight that the intake dam constructed at the upper course of the mainstream is so shallow that water flows beneath the dam instead of percolating through it.
As such, water drains through the pipes, dry up when the water volume recedes.
The engineers with their irresponsible and insincere work has made it impossible for the villagers to achieve their cherished dream of overcoming water problems in the village and has mocked the hardship faced by the villagers, womenfolk in particular, it said.
The Youth Club said that "public schemes are being robbed by not maintaining quality works".
The villagers of Thungcheng shall be compelled to block the water flow to the reservoir if it is not reconstructed and if the present executive engineer and the present AE, Nilamani Singh, are not transferred immediately.
The memorandum is signed by Thungcheng Youth Club president BD Thumsing and general secretary WS Daniel.