Sihai Khullen JJM project remains on paper, claims SKCP
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, February 13 2025: The Sihai Khullen Council Public (SKCP) has issued a strong rebuttal to the alleged report by Ukhrul PHED Executive Engineer Themreishang Marei, which claimed that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) at Sihai Khullen has been completed and is functional.

Addressing a press conference at Wino Bazar, Ukhrul, SKCP vice chairman Longrei Shimrah stated that the project appears to be completed only on paper, without providing actual benefits to the community.

According to him, the JJM project which started in 2018 is a total failure at Sihai Khullen.

Sihai Khullen JJM project remains on paper, claims SKCP

Despite the reported completion of the project, the reality on the ground is that the villagers have been deprived of their right to have tap water connection in every household, he claimed.

He also claimed that the main source of water supply, constructed at the Wuingo Rashi stream, is located at a lower elevation than the village habitation areas and as such it is impossible to supply water to the village.

Saying that the villagers had proposed constructing the water supply system at the Shangkara stream, which is located at the upper slope of the village, he alleged that the contractor, however, chose to construct the water supply system at the Wuingo Rashi stream, which is located on the lower slope.

Furthermore, all the three water reservoirs constructed at the village are leaking and installing four distributor tanks is insufficient to meet the needs of the entire village, Longrei Shimrah said.

Despite the water taps being connected to beneficiary households, the pipe connection which is necessary to supply water to the respective beneficiary families has not been installed, he claimed.

The village authority, dissatisfied with the poor quality of work, requested the contractor to provide the work order and its specifications.

However, the contractor refused to comply with this request and declined to disclose the relevant information, he further said.

Meanwhile SKCP secretary Hopingson Khangrah stated that the village authority approached the PHED, Ukhrul, to rectify the irregularities and substandard work.

However, PHED Executive Engineer responded to the village authority's concerns by stating that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) project at Sihai village was already completed in 2020, he said and added that the project was completed only on paper.

According to him, 130-140 households of Sihai Khullen are included in JJM beneficiaries list, he said and urged the local MLA Ram Muivah and higher authorities to intervene immediately and address the grievances of the villagers.