Several pipelines from water sources in the surrounding hills had been destroyed by miscreants in ethnic crisis plaguing Manipur for the last few months and the Manipur is planning to dig tube-wells to compensate the scarcity of piped drinking water in the valley.
This was stated by Manipur Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Y Sushindro @ Yaima at a presss conference in his office on Saturday.
He said, PHED will be digging several tube-wells so that people in villages who are suffering from shortage of piped drinking water can use it as an alternative.
The PHED minister informed the media that due to the present crisis, many water pipe lines connecting from hills (source) to the valley, especially those connecting to Singda circles have been destroyed by some unknown miscreants.
Due to that people in many parts of the valley area are suffering from lack of piped drinking water, he added.
He said the state police have inspected the spots and the department will start fixing the destroyed pipes.
Some unknown miscreants have also destroyed water pipes connecting Leimakhong to Singda Dam, he added.
As an alternative means of water source while the state government is fixing the broken water pipes, PHED will be digging various tube-wells, he informed.
Susindro said the department is taking up necessary measures to provide water to areas that are unable to provide from Loktak Lift Irrigation.
Almost all the water sources in Bishnupur district, located at the western side of the district, have been destroyed by unknown miscreants and therefore, drinking piped water is unable to reach the valley, the minister said.
Under the Village Water and Sanitation Committee respective Pradhan, zilla parisad used to look after and monitor supply of water, collection of taxes. Presently, there is no Pradhan or zilla parisad, so the committee will be under the direction of the concerned Deputy Commissioner of respective districts, he added.
The PHED minister further said the department has started taking necessary measures so that the Village Water and Sanitation Committee can collect an equal amount of tax from all the customers. PHED has started surveying each household as a part of the necessary measures, he said.
For urban areas, the department will be monitoring while providing pipe drinking water and there will be no urban water and sanitation committee, said the PHED minister.
