Greater Imphal reeling under acute water scarcity
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 30 2011:
State PHED is facing many inconveniences in giving adequate drinking water to the Imphal Area due to the irregular state of electric and deforestation in casement area of water reservoir which resulted in drying up of water reservoirs, said H Sunil, Additional Chief Engineer PHED.
Speaking to reporters in a press meet held at the PHED office at Khoyathong, Sunil said that since the Singda Dam which is the main source of drinking water for Greater Imphal area is drying up, PHED is facing inconvenience in supplying adequate drinking water to the Greater Imphal area.
Moreover the state power department is not being able to give adequate power supply to the department which is also a main cause for the present water scarcity.
Greater Imphal area needs 110 mld of water per day.
But PHED is producing only 70 mld a day at present.
Moreover power department is giving only 4 hours of electric supply to the department.
The department requires 380 volt of power supply to run the pumps which the power department failed to give.
When he requested the power department to give the department adequate power supply, they do not pay any attention and even asked them to request companies to make water pump which can be run on 360 volt which is not possible, he said.
Most of the water supply schemes in the state are around 40 to 50 years old and need repairmen and reconstruction.
Many distribution pipes have corroded and need to be replaced.
Since the state is a poor state, the department is facing many difficulties in replacing the pipes.
Many treatment plants in the state are also in a poor state, he said.
Sunil observed that constructing dams will gain nothing if the government does not check deforestation in the casement areas.
It is high time for the government to acquire the casement area as protected site and prohibit deforestation.
A committee to implement Manipur Drinking Water Policy was formed in September 2009.However the policy will not work successfully unless the various departments of the state government extend their cooperation to the PHED, he said.