Singda water level worries Ngamthang
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 30 2012: Concerned with the low water level in the Singda Dam, Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) Minister Ngamthang Haokip conceded that in case there is no substantial rainfall in the next few days supply of drinking water to residents of greater imphal areas including RIMS Hospital and Babupara would be severely affected.

The Minister today carried out an inspection of the Singda Dam Multi Purpose Project Area at Kangchup in the backdrop of the water level receding rapidly consequent to prolonged absence of rainfall.

The inspection also served as assessment of the Dam's existence facilities and to work out relevant measures for maintenance and improving the facility.

Sekmai AC MLA Kh Debendra, IFCD chief Engineer Th Indramani, Superintending Engineer G Robindro and Northern Circle Forest Conservator L Gopal also accompanied the Minister.

Interacting with newspersons after the inspection tour, Ngamthang Haokip said that to develop the project area as a tourist spot and an efficient water reservoir facility to supply water to the people there is need for both beautification and infrastructure development.

Estimating cost of maintenance of the Dam, repairing of the Dam's canal components and beautification to draw tourists beautification to draw tourists at Rs 20-25 crores, he said a detailed project report (DPR) has already been worked out by the IFC Department.

With reference to the Dam's water storage capacity steadily declining, the Minister cited absence of budgetary allocation for maintenance of the facility due to fund paucity, unrestrained deforestation in the Dam's catchment area and jhum cultivation close to the facility as some of the factors leading to shallowness of the dam and its subsequent shrinkage to maintain the water level.

For infrastructure development and improvement of the Dam, which was commissioned in June 1995 and to protect the facility by opening a police post the Chief Minister would be urged to provide a special package, said the Minister.

Appealing to chiefs of different villages settled in and around the Dam area to extend cooperation in afforestation campaigns as well as in protecting the trees, Ngamthang Haokip also grimly noted some individuals encroaching on the Dam area.

urging the encroachers to vacate from the Dam area at the earliest for Department officials have already been instructed to issue eviction notice, he also cautioned all concerned that defying the eviction notice might compel the Government to use police force to enforce the order.

Commenting on the Dam's deteriorating condition, IFCD Chief Engineer Indramani stated that in case repairing/maintenance work is not initiated at the earliest collapse of the project in the near future cannot be ruled out.

Informing that the Dam's full storage capacity is 81 million gallon with the live storage capacity of 51 million gallon, the Engineer also maintained that target of the project is to provide 4 million gallon of water everyday.

At present the Project could supply about 28-30 million litres of water each day, Indramani said and highlighted that in case there is no abundant rainfall in the coming days the present water level would last for about 25 days.

IFCD Chief Engineer Indramani further expressed that in case there is no budgetary provision for maintenance of projects like the Singda Dam it would ultimately mean failure of the project and its consequent impact most certain to imperil the people.

Prior to assessing the overall condition of the Singda Dam Multi-purpose Project, the Minister inspected the site for construction of a bridge over Maklang River at Langdeibung village area and reconstruction of the Kangchup Junior High School, the latter burnt down during the agitation on the issue of Delimitation.

IFCD Chief Engineer Indramani also attended a reception programme at Kangchup Chingkhong.

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