BISHNUPUR, May 6: Despite having a Water Supply Scheme for the last 30 or so years, villagers of Ishok village, Bishnupur district have been deprived of potable drinking water for the past more than 27 years.
The Sanapat Water Supply Scheme is located atop the Chingphu Machaching (Hill) and was inaugurated some 30 year ago, however stopped supplying water just about three years later.
The water supply scheme is fed from a four hectare big water reservoir constructed on the northern side hill of the Sanapat (Lake).
The 30 year old scheme is supposed to provide potable water to nine villages, Ishok, Waheng Khuman, Leimapokpam, Khumpham, Thiyam, Khathong, Lourembam, Kakyai and Pukhrambam.
Since its inauguration, the scheme remained functional for just about three years and has ever since stopped supplying water to the villages.
Locals, however, scorned that it still supplies water to Leimapokpam which is the locality of Nambol MLA, N Loken.
They also observed that the villagers and clubs had complained several times to the Nambol PHED sub-division for necessary actions, but to no avail.
The water supply scheme has one AE, one supervisor and linesman and (contractual) chowkidar at present.
Since there has been no water coming from the pipelines, which are already outdated, the villagers had dug out the pipes, however, the officials had again laid the pipes, another local said.
Now, with the whole state facing acute water scarcity, the villagers also have to turn to the local ponds for all purposes including drinking.
Ponds have been dug out and maintained by the locals from their own contribution.
However, the irony is that a place which has not received a single drop of water from the water supply for the last more than 27 years is submerged under water during the rainy season.
As the area lies in the vicinity of the Loktak lake, during the rainy season, it is submerged under water. During such a time, the food grains are wasted and the villages are haunted by water brone diseases like acute fever, diarroea, dysentery, eye infection, etc.
It also affects the economy of the poor villagers.
All this need immediate and proper attention from the government, deplored a local who identified himself as L Bishwachandra.
He further appealed to the authorities concerned to restore the scheme for the welfare of the area which is the 3rd most populated area of the assembly constituency.
