Not a drop but have to pay water tax: Kangjabi locals
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 07 2025: Locals of Kangjabi Leirak, Thangmeiband and surrounding areas are not getting a drop of drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission, but they are paying water tax of Rs 250 per household a month, a local club has decried.

As a part of the Centre's bold mission to provide tap water connection to every household by 2024, the tender for construction of an overhead water tank in the area was given to the Keystone Infra Private Limited, said Kangjabi Leirak Youth Club president, Sapam Subhankar.

The overhead tank was part of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The work order for the tank at Lalambung Pung was given to the Keystone Infra Private Limited on May 20, 2020 .

According to the work order, the construction was to be completed within 2 years, he said.

The work order also entailed that the Keystone Infra Private Limited shall oversee the operational maintenance for 5 years after completion of the construction.

Now even after 5 years, the construction of the overhead tank has not been completed yet.

While the overhead tank was still under construction, pipes have been laid for household tap water connections.

Surprisingly, authorities have started collecting "water tax" without providing the consumers a single drop of water, Subhankar said.

Kangjabi Leirak Youth Club has repeatedly appealed and submitted representations to the Executive Engineers of the PHED and relevant authorities on many occasions since 2023.Memoranda have been submitted to the Governor also on multiple occasions.

However, no actions have been taken up to complete the stalled projects and provide water to the people of the area, Subhankar said.

Crores of rupees have been spent under Jeevan Mission.

But, still the people of Kangjabi and surrounding areas are buying packaged drinking water, he added.

Kangjabi Leirak used to receive water from the Minuthong reservoir even though the water pressure and the flow was very weak.

But this source of water was cut off due to the construction of a bridge at Khoyathong, he said.

The Government must understand the plight of the people and address the issue at the earliest.

It must also produce a white paper on the overhead tank project before the public, he added.

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