Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 25:
The filter channel of the Augmentation of Water Supply for Imphal City Phase-I at Irilbung which is slated to be inaugurated by AICC President Sonia Gandhi if her visit to the State materialises has caved in and the Clarifloccurator of the scheme leaked.
The water supply Scheme is being constructed by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) at an estimated cost of Rs 816.66 lakhs with the main objective of providing safe drinking water to 50,000 people in Imphal city.
A spot inspection of the water supply scheme by The Sangai Express today confirmed that the filter channel had caved in and the clarifloccurator leaking.
The work on the water supply scheme is being taken up on war footing, with engagement of two contractors with the objective of completing the task by November 27 so that the same could be inaugurated by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi during her scheduled visit to Manipur.
The construction of the scheme started with laying of its foundation stone by CM O Ibobi in March, 2003.With caving in of the channel possibility of completing the same work within November 27, as fixed by the Govt, is remote.
Caving in of the filter channel and leaking of the clarifloccurator which have been under construction for the past three years indicate some major technical flaws.
Nonetheless, the repairing of the same is being taken up currently.
However, problem in repairing the clarifloccurator, necessary for treatment of water, is limited time factor and any hasty work in repairing such an important component of the plant might cause problem in future.
When the project having the capacity of supplying 6,81 million litres of water every day was taken up, the actual target of its completion was March this year.
With exception to the two major technical hiccups cited above, the water supply scheme has been almost completed and the black-topping of the approach road finished.