:Expressing concern over total stoppage of water supply in Mokokchung town by Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) served an ultimatum to the department on Friday to immediately restore the water supply.
Due to non-payment of an electricity bill amounting to Rs 66,000 to power department by PHED, the former disconnected power supply connection to the main pump house of water supply project, leading to stoppage of water supply in the entire town for almost four months now.
Upset with the development, MTLT office-bearers met PHED officials and conveyed to them that the citizens of Mokokchung should not be made to suffer due to the department’s negligence. Out of a total 1.3 lakh population, only 2,300 households have water pipeline connections as per the department’s record.
MTLT also expressed surprised as to why the PHED could not ensure supplying water to a small population, despite the Union ministry of water resources stating that every individual should get at least 70 litres of water every day.
The organisation also accused the department of not paying any heed to restoring the main pipeline from Litsami village, from where water was sourced through a 30-km pipeline, which was damaged in certain areas due to the recent landslides.
Referring to poor condition of the two water pumps, MTLT urged PHED to upgrade the old pumps to 50-horse power capacity, besides providing two additional water pumps at the main pump house.
The organisation pointed out that Angetyongpang, the only water source helping the Mokokchung residents survive, was drying up. And with the pipeline from Litsami water source too now getting disrupted, the citizens were unable to meet their daily water requirements, it added.
MTLT urged the PHED to resolve the matters with all seriousness in the interest of the public, failing which it warned of taking its own course of action.