ISP: 15 Yrs but nowhere near completion
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 24 2018:
Imphal Sewerage Project (ISP) which has been taken up in the State for the past 15 years has emerged as one of the most expensive projects ever to be taken up in the State without functioning, said social researcher Serto Tondana Kom during a press conference held at Manipur Press Club today.
Speaking to media persons, Serto said that the foundation stone of Imphal Sewerage project (ISP) was laid on March 5, 2002, by the then Governor Ved Marwah in the presence of Francis Widmer, Secretary General of French Embassy, delegates from French companies and officials of the State Government.
The total project cost of the ISP is Rs 323.78 crore, out of which the State Government's share is Rs 282.42 crore (87.27 percent) while the French agencies share is Rs 41.54 crore only (or 12.83 percent) of the total estimated cost.
The French company had given a time frame of two years for the completion of the ISP Phase 1, Zone 1 of Imphal city covering some wards of then Imphal Municipal Council and the works were taken up by five contractors from 2004 and more than 100 sub contractors were utilized for the said project.
It has been almost 14 years and 6 months since the project began but it is yet to be completed or become functional, he added.
He continued that on many occasions, the State Government repeatedly announced that the project will be completed and to make it functional, but all in vain.
In 2010, the then PHED Minister TN Haokip informed the Assembly that the laying of the pipeline for sewerage project along RIMS road would be completed within that year itself and then in 2013, the then PHD Minister I Hemochandra set a new deadline for finishing the ISP before the rainy season.
Recently the Chief Engineer of PHED informed media persons that ISP zone 1, comprising of the thickly populated Imphal Municipal areas will be completed by the end of 2018.Serto also highlighted the negative impacts of the project as it has blocked almost all the important roads of Imphal City and the surrounding areas.
He continued that according to the engineers concerned, the life span of the machinery and the pipes used in the project is around 30 years.
Based on this information, half of the life span of the machinery and pipe is already gone even before the project has begun functioning.
Serto conveyed that due to the ISP, a number of important roads were blocked and the general public were forced to take alternative routes thus spending more time and fuel.
The project which began 14 years and 6 months back blocked around 9000 vehicles on average and a total of around Rs 118.59 crore have been lost due to the extra fuel consumption as motorists had to take longer routes, he said He further said that the number of road accidents registered in locations where Imphal Sewerage Project are taken up has increased but when he approached the police statidn concerned no record was provided to him.
Serto claimed that some engineers were suspended by the present Government a year back in connection with death of a man in an accident at the project site along the Moirangkhom to Keishamthong road.
He also added that during his recent talk with the Chief Engineer, it has been clearly stated to him that there is no fund in the State Government to complete the project.
Serto appealed to the State Government to produce a white paper showing when the Imphal Sewerage Project will be completed and also urged the Government to discuss the project thoroughly during the coming Monsoon Assembly session.
He further alleged that the present Government has taken up many schemes and projects for the welfare of the State such as Go to Hill and Go to Village missions, but has failed to take up proper city administration policy.
He also claimed that the survey was done along with academicians, groups of news Editors and intellectuals of the State in the interest of the people.
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