Kongba river dredged, cleaned
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 26 2015:
In an attempt to fight water scarcity, locals today carried out dredging exercise along Kongba river.
The drive was organized by Kongba Turel Kanba Lup (KTKL), Top Naoriya Zilla Parishad member and Thambalkhong Gram Panchayat Pradhan.
Two land excavators were used to clean a distance of about one kilometre from Thambalkhong bridge to Kongba Laishram Leikai bridge as part of the first phase of the dredging exercise.
President of KTKL, Ch Yaima said that water scarcity crisis could have been a different story if the authority concerned had taken the right step at the right time.
He added that though the river water is contaminated to some extent it could be used after treatment.
He also urged the people settled along the upstream of the Kongba river not to dispose or dump waste material into the river.
Zilla Parishad member, Toijam Itobi asserted that the works supposed to be done by PHED and other departments are executed by the local people.
He also stated that the contamination of Kongba river by upstream dwellers has crossed the limit and urged the authorities concerned to step up efforts to save all the rivers flowing across Imphal valley from unwarranted pollution.
It may be mentioned that waste matters of JNIMS and many other localities are directly dumped into Kongba river causing health hazards to the public.
As part of the steps taken up by KTKL to provide water in the area by cleaning Kongba river, three kaccha mud dams would be constructed along the river in the second phase, added Ibobi.