IMPHAL, August 20: Khundrakpam MLA and Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Th Lokeshwar today led a team of Irrigation and Flood Control Department officials including the Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineer on an inspection tour of the flooded paddy fields in the constituency.
During an inspection of the Dolaithabi Barrage project, the state Legislative Assembly Speaker also announced that the project will be completed by 2014-15.
Meanwhile, the flooded paddy fields which were inspected earlier in the day included Kha Loukol, Charangpat Loukol and Lamphel Loukol.
Addressing the media team, the Speaker said for the past many years, the fields have remained inundated as long as the water level of the Kongba River remains high owing to the fact that the fields lie much lower than the river level, coupled with the absence of proper irrigation system in the area.
This has created problems for the farmers, he added.
IFCD Chief Engineer, Thongram Indramani said the department has submitted a Detailed Project Report, to the concerned Deputy Commissioner for a project to be taken up in the region under the centrally sponsored Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, which comes under the Flood Management Programme of the Centre.
The DPR has been submitted through the SDO, Sawombung, he said.
Elaborating further on the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, the CE said that 90 percent of the cost of the project is to be provided by the Centre and the remaining 10 percent to be provided by the state.
Once the programme is implemented in the region, the farmers would be able to get some relieve from the flood problems, he continued.
The Speaker continued that once the Dolaithabi Barrage project
is completed, it will solve most of the problems regarding the scarcity of portable water faced by the local populace of the two Imphal districts.
He further urged the workers and the officials involved in the construction of the project to inform him of any disturbance causing delay in the construction work as there is also a stern instruction from the state Chief Minister to complete the project at the earliest.
He further appealed to the concerned Works Minister to expedite works on the project and instruct all concerned to meet the 2014-15 deadline for its completion.
The recent kidnapping of engineers of the IFCD working on the Dolaithabi project is condemnable, the Speaker continued and further urged all not to repeat such acts in the future.
CE Thongram Indramani said the construction works of the Dolaithabi Barrage project which was started in 1992-93 under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme had to be stopped for some time, however, the work was regenerated in 1996-97 which again was stopped after some time.
The drawing for the project was further revised in 2005 and works again taken up for which the centre has already sanctioned Rs 360 crore, he said.