Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 31:
Even as almost all the rivers of the State are flowing to their near full capacity with the monsoon season in its best, the Kangchup water treatment plant and the Singda Water treatment plant have been supplying tap water on roaster system.
During an investigation conducted by The Sangai Express in connection with the continued scarcity of drinking water, it was found that even as the Singda Dam was overflowing with water, drinking water was supplied on roaster system.
During the course of the investigation, there were interactions with officials of the Public Health Engineering Department as well as with water consumers.
Talking to a family residing in Imphal area, they informed that there were times when they got tap water just for two hours in a whole week.
At other times, water supplied was nominal.
But on days when there was electric current, tap water was not available at all.
Usually, treated water supplied by the Kangchup water treatment plant is stored in the reservoirs located at Sagolband Bijoy Govinda, Tera Bazar, Nepra Menjor, Sangaiprou, Chingtham Leikai, Irom Pukhri Mapal, Khagempalli etc for further distribution to the surrounding localities.
However, the main pipeline supplying water to these reservoirs have been bored at several points.
The number of such unauthorized connections made directly to the main pipeline would be around 4000, said one PHED official.
Even if Department officials come across such unauthorised connections , they are unable to take up any punitive action.
In case, such defaulters were pulled up, the Department faced severe limitations as there is no specific act/rules to deal with such defaulters, he conveyed.
Another major for the una-vailability of drinking water even though it is rainy season and there is plenty of water in treatment plants is the practice of using water pumps in a massive scale drawing water from water supply pipes, he noted.