Under-performing water treatment plants likely cause for water woes
Only 5 of 17 treatment plants functioning to potential
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 07 2014: Even though denudation of forest cover in the catchment areas and absence of rain water harvesting system are being pointed out as some of the factors for the annual phenomenon of acute shortage of potable water in the State, majority of water treatment plants not operating at full capacity has been cited as another reason for drinking water inadequacy in Imphal and urban areas.

Observing water scarcity problem should not occur in rainfall bountiful Manipur wherein annual rainfall averages 1400 millimetres, an informed source said with the exception of five water treatment plants out of 17 developed by the Public Health Engineering Department for water supply system the others fall far short of the installed capacity thereby resulting in shortage of potable water during the lean season.

A file pic of Singda Dam, which has failerd to live up to its potential

Contrary to the total installed capacity of supplying 101.25 million litres of water a day, including in dry seasons, only 78.38 million litres could be supplied to the people.

It is said that Kangchup water supply scheme commissioned in 1955 with the objective of supplying 14.53 million litres a day (MLD) could only provide 11.62 MLD while the Kangchup Hill Extension project operational since 2000 is currently limited to 6.89 MLD compared to installed capacity of 9.08 MLD.

Similarly water supply schemes of Minuthong (1977) and Chinga (1978) can supply only 0.57 and 0.7 MLDs inspite of their respective capacities pegged at 1.14 MLDs.

The Canchipur water supply scheme developed on the confluence of Imphal and Iril rivers and commissioned in 1979 with installed capacity of 2.27 MLDs has ceased operation even as another scheme at the same location launched in 1992 with the target of supplying 8.54 MLDs can provide only 3.7 MLDs.

Other under-performing assets or defunct projects of PHED include water supply schemes of Koirengei, Ningthem Pukhri Mapal and Awang Potshangbam.

PHED projects that have been supplying water in sync with installed capacity are said to be Singda, Khuman Lampak, Irilbung and augmented schemes of Kangchup and Potshangbam.

Estimating total loss of water from the failed projects at 22.87 MLDs a day, experts said people in Imphal and adjacent locations also depend on rivers flowing through the valley areas with Imphal river meeting 25 percent of the requirement, Iril river (29 percent) and Leimakhong, Polok and singda dam making up 69 percent of the needs, with ground water source providing 7 percent.

Rampant deforestation activities as well as complete denudation in the catchment areas of Imphal, Iril and Nambul rivers have also been cited for water scarcity whenever there is delay in arrival of monsoon rain.

The experts also highlighted that assessment for every 10 years from 1954 till date confirmed decline in the annual rainfall average, which they say is a fallout of worldwide phenomenon of global warming.

In between 1954 to 1960 annual rainfall was recorded at 1441.7 millimetres while from 2011 to this year the quantum of rainfall is being projected to decrease to 1278.1 mm.