WATER is one of the most basic needs of human life. Yet in Lamka, Churachandpur district of Manipur, people continue to suffer from scarcity of clean drinking water. The situation has remained the same for decades, with very little action from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) or the state government.
In many residential areas, public water taps that were once installed have now become useless. For example, in Tuibuang Government Headquarter residential area, there is a public tap that has been standing for decades. It no longer provides water, and no authority has come forward to repair or replace it. People are forced to depend on other unreliable sources.
Even in parts of Lamka town, water supplied by PHED is not enough. Some public taps do provide water occasionally, but the supply is irregular and inadequate. Families are often forced to queue up with buckets and cans, and still return home with only a small amount. The government department that is supposed to provide safe drinking water has failed to address the issue seriously.
As a result, people depend heavily on borewells. But the water drawn from these borewells is often muddy and unsafe. It is common to see buckets filled with dirty, brownish water. Drinking such water is a serious health risk, especially for children and the elderly. Water-borne diseases are always a danger in the community.
Because of the poor quality of water, households are forced to create their own makeshift purification systems. Using ordinary buckets, plastic containers, and sieves, people try to filter water as best as they can. These homemade purifiers are not fully effective, but they are the only option left for many families. It is sad that in the 21st century, citizens still have to struggle like this for something as basic as clean drinking water.
The most frustrating part of this crisis is that Lamka is only a few kilometers away from the Khuga Dam. This massive dam submerged vast stretches of fertile agricultural land and even villages when it was built. The people sacrificed their land with the hope that the dam would provide drinking water, irrigation, and electricity. But today, Khuga Dam remains largely unused. The water stored there does not benefit the people of Lamka. Instead, they are left with empty promises and broken dreams.
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The Khuga Dam project began in 1983 as a multipurpose scheme to supply electricity and water. After years of delay and silence, work resumed only in 2002. On 12 November 2010, the dam was officially inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi. The dam stands 38 meters high and 230 meters wide, with a cost of about INR 2.5 billion. Yet, despite such a huge investment, it has brought no real benefits to the people of Lamka or Churachandpur district. |
This is nothing but government failure. The PHED has not planned properly or implemented effective projects to ensure water supply in Lamka. The state government has ignored the suffering of the people, even though the crisis is visible everywhere. It is shameful that such a big dam lies idle while nearby towns struggle daily for a few buckets of water.
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| Lamka Town |
Clean drinking water is a right, not a privilege. The government must wake up from its negligence and take urgent steps. The Khuga Dam must be fully utilized for the purpose it was built. Water pipelines should be repaired, extended, and maintained regularly. People of Lamka deserve safe water, not just false assurances.
Until then, the daily struggle of fetching, filtering, and worrying about water will continue. The situation in Lamka is a reminder that government projects mean nothing if they do not reach the people they are meant to serve.
~ Bruce K. Thangkhal
Joint Editor, ZOGAM TODAY
Lamka | 21 Aug 2021
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