Multi-Crore Integrated Water Supply Project for Imphal from November
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 22 2014: Construction work of Integrated Water Supply Project for Imphal Planning Area at an estimated cost of Rs 1300 crores would start from November this year by Simplex Private Limited, a private firm based in Kolkata.

Informing this during a stakeholder meeting held in connection with the construction work at Imphal Hotel today, H Sunil, Chief Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) said that since the construction of the project involved a huge amount of money, the construction work will be done in phase wise manner, and maintained that the Central Government had earmarked an amount of Rs 89 for phase one construction of which Rs 21 crore had been already sanctioned.

He stated that construction of nine water treatment plants is included under the phase one and contended that Simplex Private was chosen as the agency for the construction work after floating proper e-tender.

Multi-Crore Integrated Water Supply Project for Imphal

The phase one and phase two construction of the project will be done under the funding from the Central Government.

As for phase two construction, the Central Government had already earmarked an amount totaling to Rs 320 crore, he disclosed.

Confiding that the department has been trying to take up the phase three construction of the project under Japanese International Cooperation Alliance (JAICA), he asserted that the department had already sent a DPR to JAICA through the Central Government.

In this regard, a MoU may be inked between the department and Japan in 2015.Since the country had gone through some sort of inconveniences during the setting up of Sericulture Project in the State under the funding from them, the country had shown unwillingness to be part of the Integrated Water Supply Project at first place.

Finally, their mindset was changed after convincing them about the importance of the project, he narrated.

Saying that the department is targeting to complete the construction work of the project which would provide adequate potable water in whole areas of Imphal by 2019-20, the Chief Engineer admitted that many of the water supply schemes in Imphal are not functioning up to the mark due to ageing.

He also said that old water supply schemes in the city will be dismantled after the construction of the project is completed.

Stating that shortage of water in the capital would be solved once the Integrated Water Supply Project gets fully operational, he added that source of water for the project will be Thoubal Dam, Singda Dam and several others.

Kikio Matsushima, Kotaro Kikuchi and Dr Keji Takayangi who came in the State as the study team of JAICA also attended the meeting which was organized by PHED.