Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh on October 25, 2020, inaugurated two water supply projects for two villages under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The two villages on the Indo Myanmar border are remote and once totally insurgent infested, are now getting regular water supply under Jal Jeevan Mission.
Khangbarol village under Khengjoy Sub-Division,in Chandel, an aspirational district in Manipur, is situated 69 km away from district headquarters. The village lies about 30 km from the Indo Myanmar border. There are 82 households in the village. The water supply system has been designed keeping in mind the projected population of about 1,000 by 2041. With an estimated cost of Rs. 60 lakh, this gravity based water supply system ensured tap water connection to all 82 households with present population of about 450. There is a perennial source of water from “Khangbarollok” located at a distance of 6 km away from the treatment site. As the source is located at a higher elevation than the treatment site, gravity based water supply scheme was taken up.
Another village Khengjoy under Khengjoy Sub-Division in Chandel district, is situated at 60 km away from district headquarters. The village is about 20 km from the Indo-Myanmar border. The newly inaugurated water supply system caters to the water need of 73 families by providing tap water connection. Now, the operation and maintenance of the scheme is with the Village Water & Sanitation Committee as envisaged under the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure regular and long-term supply of potable water in rural areas, according to a PIB release.
Accessibility remained the biggest challenge in implementation of the water supply schemes in the hilly areas as the region is inaccessible during the monsoon season. Transportation of material is only possible during particular time. Also all materials were transported from Imphal/ Pallel town.
Communication is the next biggest challenges as the area have poor network coverage, so in most case dedicated man-power mobilised in the area constrained the already limited manpower. In spite of Covid-19 pandemic, the officials of Public Health Engineering Department worked hard to ensure tap water reaches every rural home in these far-flung villages.
Manipur has around 4.5 lakh households, but only 30,379 households have tap water connections. During 2020-21, the State aims to provide 2 lakh FHTC. During the current year, State is planning for 100% coverage of 1 district and 15 blocks and 1,275 villages. It has planned for 100% provision of household tap connections by 2023 under Jal Jeevan Mission.