Reduce water consumption by 50 pc: PHE Minister
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2023: Saying that the PHED is unable to provide tap water to people residing in areas covered by the Singda Water Supply Scheme as the reservoir (Singda Dam) has dried up, PHE Minister L Susindro has appealed to the people to reduce daily water consum-ption by 50 per cent.

Susindro said that the water provided by the department through pipelines is meant for drinking and cooking, not for washing vehicles and clothes.

Chief Minister N Biren who is also in charge of Finance Department today tabled demand for grants pertaining to Public Health Engineering, Administration of Justice, Rehabilitation, Minor Irrigation and Fishery in the State Assembly.

Reduce water consumption by 50 pc: PHE Minister

In the course of discussing the demands, Opposition Members Surjakumar Okram, K Ranjit, K Megha-chandra and Th Lokeswhar moved policy cut motions.

Responding to the policy cut motions, L Susindro said that the PHED will never be able to supply enough water to the masses if the people think that all their water requirements should be met out of the water supplied by the Government.

Saying that the water being supplied to the people from Chingkhei Ching entails substantial expenditure, Susindro decried that some people have been using the precious water for washing vehicles.

Even though the Government has built a number water supply plants, many of these plants have been facing serious problems as water has dried up at the sources, Susindro said.

He then appealed to all the people to use water judiciously.Informing that the State Government has set a target of completing all projects taken up under Jal Jeevan Mission by the end of 2023, Susindro claimed that the Government is now able to provide tap water to 3,44,105 households following the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Tap water connection is currently underway at 2,556 villages, he said.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission and Har Ghar Jal scheme, each person should be supplied with 135 litres of water in urban area, 70 litres in other towns and 55 litres in rural area, Susindro said.

As of now, PHED would not be able to supply tap water through pre-paid metre, he said.

He said that there is a monitoring committee and a laboratory to check the quality of water supplied to the people.

Saying that private tankers do not take permission from PHED or Water Resources Department for providing water to consumers, Susindro informed that a law would be enacted for regulation of private water suppliers.

Replying to an observation made by Nishikant Sapam, Susindro said that contractors have been paying no attention even though they have been directed again and again to lay pipes under culverts.

The contractors have been laying pipes through drains and culverts by considering only their convenience, he said.

There are also some lapses on the part of engineers, Susindro added.

On Minor Irrigation, Chief Minister N Biren said that the Minor Irrigation Department is a key department as the State's economy is largely based on agriculture.

There are 217 RLI schemes in Manipur and 132 of them have been functioning quite well while 58 require minor repairing.

The Government has been working hard to complete 36 new RLI schemes by March, Biren said.

Highlighting the shrinkage of water sources in the State, the Chief Minister called upon one and all to work collectively in order to conserve environment.The importance of conserving forest is ingrained in the celebration of Umang Lais or sylvan deities in every locality, Biren said before exhorting the people to plant trees in the valley too.

He went on to claim that it was his Government which started 'Green Revolution' in the State.

Now very little trees grow on Kangchup Range, Koubru Range, Litan area, Kamjong area and Saikul area.

It is essential to create awareness among the public on the importance of protecting forests/trees, the Chief Minister said.

Later, the House passed the demands unanimously.