Malom leads the way in rain water harvesting
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 13 2012:
Malom Makha Leikai, Imphal West district has scripted a success story about rain water harvesting, and the local people are no longer thirsty for monsoon rain despite the prolonged dry spell.
It is a common knowledge that Manipur despite receiving one of the heaviest annual rainfall, has been enduring water scarcity every year once the rainy season is over.
Imphal West Zilla Parishad constructed two ferro cemented tanks of 5000 litres capacity on experimental basis last year under MGNREGS for rain water harvesting.
Now the two tanks are prized assets of the local people, particularly women.
Following the success of the experiment, many more similar tanks have been constructed in the locality.
In the words of Bala Devi (37), a resident of Malom Makha Leikai, the local people particularly womenfolk used to fetch water on their heads from one kilometre afar.
Though water-pipes were laid in the locality, water shortage is a perennial problem for the locality as no water was supplied through the pipe-line.
"Since the water harvesting tanks were constructed last year, we have been greatly relieved.
Rain water stored in the tanks can easily cater to the domestic requirements", Bala said.
The ferro cemented water tanks are fitted with a sort of water filter.
As such, direct consumption (without boiling) does not pose any health hazard, Bala added.
Yendrembam Surjit, another resident of the locality, said that similar water tanks have been constructed at 14 spots to cater to water requirements of groups of consumers.
One NGO Ikon Foundation provided technical support in constructing the water tanks.
Imphal West Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Th Kirankumar informed that the water tanks were constructed with the interest earned from bank out of the fund sanctioned by the Centre under MGNREGS to DRDA before the fund was distributed to beneficiaries.
Each of the water tanks costs Rs 48,000, said Kiran-kumar adding that construction of similar water tanks have been initiated at some other places of Imphal West district.