IMPHAL, February 22: The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of Manipur Government has not paid the cost of water taken by the Kangchup Extension plant and Singda Plant of the department which supplies water to the public from Singda Dam to Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) since many years back.
According to information received by IFP, the height of Singda Dam under IFCD is 60 metres and the length 490 metres. The water level of the dam till February 21 is 901.14 metre as it has not rained yet and consequently the volume of water is at a reduced level i.e. 21 metre less than the required volume.
As the level of Singda Dam is at the reduced level, the flow of surplus water stops along the spillway.
Some years back, such crisis did not occur before the rainy season.The water seepage through other sources into the dam and the water holes have stopped due to deforestation and setting of fire to the surrounding trees around the catchment area of the dam everyday.
However there are pipes fixed to the different levels inside the dam in order to provide water to the public . PHED provides at least 7 million gallons in a day from the dam.
At the time of the construction of the dam, the supply of water for drinking water from this dam to PHED is was included as a component of the dam.
The cost of the water to be paid is given to PHED by IFCD nominally. Accordingly, the cost was paid at the beginning but it has not been paid since many years back.
The cost of water to be paid by PHED should be the revenue of IFCD though it could not be ascertained what understanding had been arrived at between the two departments regarding the non payment of the cost of water. However IFCD collects Rs 2 from the visitors coming to the Dam.
It may be mentioned that Kangchup extension plant of PHED fed by Singda dam supplies water to reservoirs of Nepra menjor, Sangaiprou and Chingtham leikai and Singda plant feeds water to the reservoirs of Lalambung, Cheiraoching and Manipur Manipur legislative assembly (old) for drinking water of the public.