Residents says no house has tap water connection
Another discrepancy in the implementation of Centre’s flagship programme – Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal scheme in Manipur was exposed when residents of a village in Imphal East district revealed a stark contrast to official records.
Residents of Wakha village (under Kshetrigao Assembly Constituency) in Imphal East district voiced strong resentment when their village was shown as having tap water connections under the JJM scheme, despite no household in the area actually receiving piped drinking water.
As per the JJM official website, Wakha village (under Kshetrigao Assembly Constituency) is listed among the villages of Manipur having tap water connections for all its households under the JJM scheme, with 177 out of 177 households having tap connections. The JJM dashboard showed that the village has achieved the ‘100% tap water connection’ status.
However, villagers revealed that no household in the village ever enjoys tap water.
Expressing strong resentment over the claim, a villager Amberjayant Chongtham said that they were surprised when it was found that their village is fully covered by JJM scheme.
“We are enjoying tap water only on paper,” he lamented. No tap water has reached their homes to date and the villagers were still depending on a single hand pump and occasional supply from nearby sources, he said. Another villager raised his eyebrows when his father’s name was listed as “Pump Operator”.
Sanjenbam Sushilkumar pointed out that the JJM portal mentions his father, S Rajen, as a “Pump Operator” under the local water supply system.
It is totally a false claim as his father has never worked or received any salary for such service.
Secretary of the Wakha Women’s Development Association Lousambam Baleshwari described the online claim as “misleading and deeply disappointing.”
She sought an inquiry into how the water supply plant in their village was marked as completed when the ground reality tells a very different story.
They drew the attention of the higher authorities of the state government to verify the records and ensure transparency in implementing welfare schemes meant to provide every household with safe drinking water.
The villagers’ revelation was amid the allegation of data manipulation and fund misappropriation in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal scheme in Manipur. Alleging a “massive” multi-crore scam under the JJM scheme in the state, Manipur Congress has been demanding a court-monitored investigation into alleged large-scale fund misuse and data manipulation.
Recently, Congress Lok Sabha member from Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam had also filed a petition to the high court of Manipur in this regard.
The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has been claiming 80% of rural households in Manipur had been provided with tap water.
However, the ground reality revealed a completely different story. “Such claims are a blatant fraud on the people of the state,” the Congress MP had stated.
The MP hurled the allegations after he personally visited several villages and witnessed that “in most cases, even pipes had not been laid.”
He had called the episode as “a systemic case of data manipulation and fund misappropriation,” while expressing strong discontentment as the alleged scam occurred at a time when Manipur was already reeling under violence and instability.
During a recent public talk show in Senapati district, a social activist – RK Paul Chawang – had also presented compelling evidence, including photographs and data, exposing a massive gap between official reports of “Functional Tap Household Connections” (FTHC) and the actual ground reality, where most households reportedly remain without water supply.
The public talk show held on October 25 was organised by The Times of Senapati in collaboration with Youth Rise for Change.
The event brought the issue to the forefront, drawing a packed audience and sharp criticism of local authorities.
The event concluded with unanimous calls for an independent investigation into the implementation of the JJM scheme in the district, strict punishment of those responsible and immediate steps to ensure honest implementation of government schemes in the district.
Notably, following a top-level review meeting, the Central government, while expressing concerns over irregularities in the implementation of the scheme, recently directed states to report on any corruption probes and the actions taken against officials and contractors involved.