Manipur government will frame a law to properly regulate the water supply systems including the private suppliers in the north eastern border state before the next assembly session, the state’s public health engineering (PHE) minister Leishangthem Susindro said in the Assembly on Tuesday.
The minister was replying to a question by an opposition Congress MLA during a discussion in the on-going budget session.
The minister said, “We will frame a law to regulate it on or before next assembly session,” adding, “We’ll also be consulting the members of the legislative assembly for comments before the new law is framed.”
On the present water crisis at different parts of the state, he said Maram areas,Ukhrul and Churachandpur districts are also facing shortage of water.
Manipur is presently reeling under shortage of water supply after the drying up of the water sources including Singda water reservoir which was the main water supplier of the population in Imphal areas,due to deforestation. Residents of Imphal area, having a projected population of 7.8 lakh, require 133.52 million litres per day.
He also appealed to judiciously use water supplied by the PHE, which is the water supply agency of the state, considering the present situation of scarcity of water at source in the state.
{{/usCountry}}He also appealed to judiciously use water supplied by the PHE, which is the water supply agency of the state, considering the present situation of scarcity of water at source in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Highlighting the government’s plan,he said the department is also planning to pump up water from Ijei river once the railways tunnel constrictions are completed, and also from Loktak Lake and Barak river at Karong up to Imphal River at Kangpokpi area.
Responding to the demand for completion of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the minister said the state is targeting to complete water supply schemes taken up in the state under NDB(New Development Bank) scheme by December next year even though the actual target of completion is August 15,2024.
Only about 411 villages out of the state’s 2,556 villages have 100 per cent functional household tap connections, he added.
JJM is a government initiative to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.