Mokokchung, September 16 (MExN): Mokokchung town has not seen any water supply from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) for four months. Now, the Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) has served the PHED seven days' ultimatum to restart this water supply.
This was conveyed to the PHED by the MTLT at a meeting held on September 14. The MTLT informed that the PHED had not paid its electricity bill, amounting to Rs. 66,000, to the Power Department resulting in the disconnection of electricity supply to the main PHED pump house. “This ultimately led to the stoppage of water supply in the whole town for almost four months,” stated the MTLT in a press release from its President, Imkummeren Jamir, and Convener of its Public Grievance Cell, Aolong Imchen.
In such a scenario, people of Mokokchung town have been banking on rain water harvesting but this cannot become a regular water source.
All citizens of Mokokchung “should not suffer because of the department’s negligence,” maintained the MTLT.
Further, it informed that out of the total 1.3 lakh population, only 2300 households have water pipeline connections as per the department’s record. MTLT expressed surprise at “why the department cannot manage proper supply of water to these small populations of consumers, though the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, says that a person should get 70 litres of water per day.”
Water sourcing
In the meeting with PHED, the MTLT also addressed the problem of water sourcing from Litsami village.
“The main pipeline from Litsami which covers a stretch of 30 km has been disconnected in certain areas due to landslides. However, the department has paid no heed to the problem and it remains overlooked,” informed the MTLT.
Also raising the condition of the two water pump machines of the PHED, the MTLT requested the department to “upgrade the old pumping machine to 50 hp and also provide two additional water pumps at the main pump house.”
“Angetyongpang is the only water source that is helping Mokokchung town survive is also drying up and with Litsami water source being disconnected, the citizens are unable to meet the daily water requirements,” observed the MTLT.
These issues have been raised by the MTLT over the past few years. It thus urged the PHED to “resolve the matters with all seriousness in the interest of the public, failing which, the MTLT will take its own course of action.”
