IMPHAL, Jun 19: The Government has initiated due process to provide piped water to all households located within Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) which is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Urban Development.
The scheme which would be implemented within a span of three years has three components and all the three components have been approved by the Ministry.
The first instalment of the project cost has been already released and the same has been deposited in the account of the project implementing agency.
AMRUT scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 with the primary objective of supplying safe drinking water to public and improve sanitation in urban areas.
After Imphal city was selected as one of the beneficiary cities, three projects were prepared and submitted to the Ministry in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18, informed an official source.
As per the guidelines of the scheme, 97.5 per cent of the total project cost would be invested in water supply plants while the remaining 2.5 per cent would be invested in creating recreational parks for senior citizens.
It is said that the park component is compulsory for each and every State/city.
If the water supply component is completed within the stipulated three years, another project which should be implemented within the next three years would be sanctioned to the particular State/city. As such, the State Government has been working to take up the water supply component first.
The total population of the 27 wards of IMC is around 2.6 lakh and the total number of households is 57,764.
Project cost of the scheme for Imphal city is Rs 51.43 crore for the first year, Rs 58.5 crore for the second year and Rs 68.88 crore for the third year.
All the three projects have been approved by the Ministry. Moreover, first instalment (20 per cent each) for the first and second years have been released.
Whereas the State PHED is the implementing agency for the water supply project, PDA would implement the park component which would be developed at the existing BT Park and Indira Park.
Moreover, a target has been set to construct a park in each ward of IMC.
The first instalment released for the first two years have been deposited in the account of PHED. Subsequently, PHED has floated tender for procuring necessary water pipes, and the same has been given consent by the high power committee.
The scheme envisages to replace all the existing water pipes of Imphal city. Water taps and meters would be installed at each household and the consumers would be taxed according to the volume of water they consume. Revenue thus collected in the form of water tax would be utilised for maintenance purposes, informed the source.
The scheme has also set a target of supplying piped water to 17,795 households within the current fiscal year 2017-18. Another 11,600 households would be covered in 2018-19 and the remaining households would be covered in 2019-20.
It is reported that due tender has been floated for procuring water meters.
Source: The Sangai Express
