IMPHAL, February 20: A source said that owing to the water level of the Singda Dam, one of the largest water bodies of Manipur coming down exceedingly, there will be changes in the supply of water from this dam.
Regarding the development, Brojendro Singh, Executive Engineer 1, of water supply maintenance division No. 1 of the Public Health engineering Department (PHED), Government of Manipur working for water supply to the public has issued an official statement today.
The official statement/letter of EE/water supply maintenance division –I said that consequent to the receding water level at Singda Dam, the treatment plants at (I) Kangchang and (II) Singda are running short of capacity production.
As a result and in order to manage the current crisis, PHE Department is compelled to make changes in the supply of water from the two plants i,e. Kangchup Extension Plant – which feeds the zonal reservoirs at Nepra Menjor, Sangaiprou and Chingtham Leikai and the Singda Plant which feeds the Zonal Reservoirs at Lalambung, Cheiraoching and Manipur Legislative Assembly (old).
Accordingly, the supply of water to the areas covered by the above reservoirs and Khagempalli, Kwakeithel areas, Kwakeithel Thiyam kleikai and surroundings, Tera areas including Sayang road areas in addition, will be affected.
Regarding the growing inconveniences of the unavailability of adequate water confronting PHED Department, Nongmaithem Kirankumar Singh, Assistant Engineer of Water Supply Maintenance Division told IFP that Singda Dam is under the control and protection of Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD). Zonal reservoirs located at Nepra Menjor, Sangaiprou, Chingtham Leikai, Lalambung Cheiraoching and Manipur Legislative Assembly (old) in Manpur are fed with water through Kangchup extension plant and Singda plant for which PHED bought the Singda dam water under IFCD. The two plants run under water supply maintenance division No.1 of PHED took 9.0 million litres of water and distributes it to zonal reservoirs after which, water is made available to the public.
With the water level of Singda Dam receding exceedingly, there is no required volume of water taken by the PHED. PHED has received 70% or 80% of the required volume of water instead of 9.0 ML for a long time. So there is a necessity for some changes in the supply of water to zonal reservoirs.
The AE further said that the department has earlier referred to February, March, April and May as lean months every year due to scarcity of water. He added that once the rainy season comes along in June, it can lessen some inconveniences of water scarcity to some extent.
IFP`s efforts to meet the Chief Engineer concerning the development of water levels at the Singda dam went without success.