Five water supply projects set for inauguration

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 7: Five water supply projects namely; Porompat Integrated Water Supply Project, Sangakpham Integrated Water Supply Project, Canchipur Integrated Water Supply Project, Heingang Awang Leikai Water Supply Scheme and Churachandpur Water Supply Distribution Network are all set for inauguration tomorrow   
PHE Minister L Dikho told this reporter that the five water supply projects would be inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Construction work of the four water supply projects started in 2018 while the fifth one was started last year.
Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a target of providing tap water to every household of the country by 2024, the State Government has shortened the target to 2020.
The total cost of the five water supply projects is Rs 4831.46.
The four water projects (excluding the Churachandpur Water Supply Distribution Network) would provide tap water to 2,16,494 households of greater Imphal area, Dikho said.   
He said that Churachandpur Water Supply Distribution Network would provide tap water to  73,014 households and it would cover the whole of Churachandpur district headquarters.
Augmentation of Porompat Water Treatment Plant and Iroishemba Water Treatment has been completed and they have been inaugurated by the Chief Minister, said the PHE Minister.
Augmentation of water supply schemes of Singda, Kangchup and Sangaiprou which would provide tap water to Imphal city and areas covered by Imphal Municipality is also about to be completed.
Informing that funds needed for these development works were taken from NABARD in the form of soft loan, Dikho said that the Government has been planning to provide potable water in the hill areas too.
He said that there is a need to replace distribution pipes which are 30 to 40 years old and plans are afoot to replace these old pipes in both the hills and the valley.
The New Development Bank has already sanctioned Rs 3000 crore as soft loan for replacing old water distribution pipes.
Although the sanctioned amount has not been released yet, the State Government has started procuring pipes, Dikho said. Moreover, installation of tap metres has begun on experimental basis at some urban areas. Metres are being installed to check evasion of water tax and address loopholes in the tax collection process, if there is any, he added.