By Kshetrimayum Sopen Singh
IMPHAL, April 28: While the people of the state have been experiencing acute shortage of water since the many days, there are big ponds in some localities of the state in the proximity of Imphal which has enough water for another 2/3 months without any rain.
In an attempt to highlight the importance of maintaining community pond in each and every locality, a team of IFP visited today several locations where community ponds have been maintained for the residents.
During the visit, IFP team found one such community pond known as “Yubaraj Palli Pukhri Achouba” located along the Yubaraj Palli – an Inter Village Road connecting Khongman Okram Chuthek and Uchekon under 5-Thongju Assembly Constituency.
IFP team measured the surface area of the pond and found that it is approximately 50×70 metres.
To the surprise of the IFP team, the water of the said pond marks its level at the maximum and the pond is centrally located for the surrounding villages of Khongman, Okram Chuthek and Uchekon.
A local who was collecting fodder around the pond told the team that the pond is fed only with rain water.
Archaeologist Dr O Kumar Singh, a local of the area expressed that the pond was constructed in the late 70s by purchasing the portion of the pond by his father late Okram Chaoba Singh, special contractor and the cost of digging the pond was funded by the Manipur government under a scheme of the PHED.
He further informed that the Water Supply Scheme located at the junction of Okram Chuthek is now fed by the water of this pond.
Dr O Kumar further added after having done necessary siltation, the local people are collecting water directly from the Water Supply Tank instead of using pipelines.
On the other hand while interacting on the possible solution to the water scarcity issue, a prominent social activist opined that no human settlement should be allowed at the Reserve Forest and Proposed Reserved Forest area as human settlement aggresses upon forest products for economic purpose.
Interestingly, he said that the elected leaders of the state is only interested in brick and cement politics thereby Community Hall in every locality in any available surface area in their constituency has sprang up.
In this regard, the social activist categorically maintained that instead of constructing community hall, the elected leaders should invest their time and energy on providing Community Ponds in which the water could be harvested considering the scarcity of water in the dry season.
He also mentioned of the Tripura model where Bamon Mandop is maintained by government and used as Community Hall instead of constructing community hall under Local Area Development Fund.