Premature collapse stares at Singda Dam
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 20: Due to continuous deposition of huge amount of sediments and other particles brought down by rain from nearby hill slopes every year, the bed of the Singda Dam reservoir has been filled up to a great height thereby threatening the very existence of the dam.

Commissioned in 1995, the Singda Dam was earlier to estimated to last for 100 years, but with the reservoir filled up by sediments, it is feared that the dam may go out of service after 30 years at the most.

IFC Minister and Department officials assessing damage to the Singda Dam water reservoir

Subsequent upon the news report published in this paper about the receding water level of Singda and the resulting water supply failure in Imphal city area, a joint team of PHED and IFCD engineers led by PHE Minister TN Haokip inspected the dam today.

The drastic recession in the water level was due to four leaky valves fitted with the dam.

Of the eight valves fitted with the dam, four valves started leaking since 10 years back.

The water level of the reservoir was further reduced because of drawing greater quantity of water than it should by the PHED, explained the IFCD engineers to the PHE Minister.

Noting that this is the first time, the water level went down so low, they informed the Minister that the leaky valves can be repaired at the cost of Rs 4 lakhs.

They also demanded for security cover should the faulty valves be repaired.

Speaking to media persons at Singda Dam today, IFCD Additional Chief Engineer Thongram Indramani cautioned that the dam would not last longer than 30 years at the most although it was built to last 100 years due to sediments deposited at the reservoir bed.

Stating that the existing condition of the dam is really dangerous, Indramani warned that the existing intake may burst out when the water volume increases which may further lead to collapse of the entire earthen dam.

In the event of such break down, a large area extending up to Lamphelpat may be flooded, he added.

At present, the dam has water of depth seven metres.

This water volume may last for 25 days if the PHED is provided water at the rate of 4 million gallons per day, informed the Addition CE.

On being asked whether the Singda Dam project did not include catchment area protection plans, Indramani disclosed that the Project has definite plans to protect catchment areas from erosion and denudation but the Government has not been providing funds.

Re-development of catchment areas would require about Rs 5 crores, he estimated while lamenting that the Government does not release any fund for maintenance of Singda Dam.

Talking to the media persons, IFC Minister TN Haokip said that Rs 4 lakhs will be given to the IFCD for repairing the leaky valves.

To a query about the failure of the Department to repair the valves which have been leaking since a long time back, the Minister conceded some lapses.

To store additional water, a gate of one metre high and 30 metres long will be constructed at Singda Dam, TN Haokip said.

To develop the dam, a meeting will be held with the Chief Minister shortly, he added.

Another meeting with the chiefs of the six villages located around the dam will be convened within a short time to discuss on checking quarrying, jhum cultivation and lumbering.

The PHE Minister also assured that he would look into the possibility of taking up water supply schemes at these villages.

Necessary steps will be taken up in collaboration with the Forest and Environment Department to start planting trees from June this year.

Moreover, the IFCD has been intimated to prepare a detail project report for development of Brindaban Garden just in front of Singda Dam in consultation with Tourism Department under public-private partnership, TN Haokip stated.

On the other hand, the PHED officials maintained that only two million gallons of water is being drawn per day from Singda dam.

Further, according to information received from the IFCD, the rubber seal of the Imphal Barrage is out of order and there is leakage of water, three gates of the SekmaiBarrage have also gone out of order while it has been 20 years since maintenance work was done at Khoupum Dam.

The team led by the PHE Minister TN Haokip also visited Singda and Kangchup water treatment plants and also the point at Leimakhong river from where water for Kangchup water treatment plant is drawn up.