Responding to a newspaper report : A rarity, bucking the trend ?
- Sangai Express Editorial :: October 05, 2013 -

A rarity in this part of the world and country. That is the political leadership responding positively to newspaper reports.

In asking the officials of the Public Health Engineering Department to furnish all the relevant information on the inadequate supply or availability of chemicals to treat water supplied by the said Department, PHED Minister Mr Irengbam Hemochandra seems ready to convey a message that he is ready to buck the trend, a trend where the Babudom and the political leaders prefer to remain indifferent to reports published in the State dailies on the ills afflicting the different arms of the Government.

The September 29 edition of The Sangai Express ran a story, a story which detailed the inconveniences faced by the PHED due to lack of chemicals to treat water they supply to the consumers.

No chest thumping here, but it is significant to note that the PHED Minister has taken serious note of the report and has initiated a series of action, asking the officials concerned of the said department to furnish their report by October 4.

Other than the instructions issued to the officials, the Minister himself announced that if any wrongs are detected, action would be taken up against the suppliers, including black listing them.

A swift response to a report published by The Sangai Express backed by strong words.

The last word is yet to be said, for the past is enough indication that in most cases, promises and assurances to look into the shortcomings of Government Departments have more often than not ended up as playing to the gallery or to score some brownie points.

The natural question that follows is whether Mr Irengbam Hemochandra will follow up on his words with action and address the issue at hand with the seriousness it deserves or merely let it end as a routine course of summoning officials and asking them to submit their reports.

Lack of adequate chemicals to treat water should be seen and understood in the realm of the very name of the Department, which is Public Health. It is this which the Minister should keep in mind while addressing the issue.

Yes Minister. The word is out and some action may be taken up, but the need to see the issue or matter from a bigger perspective should be underlined.

Why are the suppliers unable to provide the chemicals adequately to treat the water that is supposed to be supplied to the people as potable water ?

Has the Minister given any thought to the fact that the rates fixed for the chemicals to be supplied has not been revised for the last ten years ? This is a matter which the PHED can and should have addressed a long, long time back.

A case of inertia, lethargy and sheer incompetency.

Other factors like blockades on the highways or when the highways are cut off due to landslides or road sinks are of course beyond the control of the Department but surely failing to revise the rate for the last ten years is taking things a little too far.

It is hoped that the Mr Irengbam Hemochandra will keep this in mind while addressing the issue. As things stand today, the water supplied by the PHED is anything but potable.

Go to any locality or leikai and take a look at the water that is being supplied as tap water and one will understand the idea behind this observation.

Boil it, cool it and then filter it. This is the process that is being followed by every household and this says something about the quality or lack of quality of the water being supplied by PHED.

Apart from the health aspect, that is the availability or lack of chemicals to treat water, there is also the question of how far the PHED has been able to provide potable water to its citizens.

Water being supplied for three or four days in a week, that too for only a few hours, says something significant.

This is the picture and add the lack of adequate chemicals to treat the water and it should be more than enough to understand the exercise of supplying water by the PHED.