Month: July 2017

From Our Correspondent

UKHRUL | July 28

Ukhrul town has been hit by water scarcity following the recent cyclone Mora, which destroyed the main water sources at Shirui Hills. In this regard, the Committee for Scarcity of Water in Ukhrul Town (CFSWUT) has urged the state government to take up necessary steps at the earliest.

Highlighting the woes of the residents of the town in a press conference held today at UDWJA office, AS Vaomi, president of the said committee said that more than six thousand households residing in the town are currently reeling under severe shortage of drinking water ever since the cyclone swept off water reservoirs of the only water source at Shirui Hills last month.

PHED department is currently catering to around 1300 registered consumers in the town, apart from road side hydrants.

“As the pipeline water has been snapped, most households are now compelled to rely on rain water irrespective of its quality but then how long will they sustain”, he pointed out and added that once the dry season comes, the problem is bound to double up unless the water supply is restored at once.

“In view of the prevailing water crisis that has arisen due to failure on the part of the department to restore the pipeline water even after one month as anticipated, the Committee was instituted on July 20, comprising representatives of Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long (TNWL) and four zonal Longphangs of the district and is mandated to mount pressure on the government to end the crisis at once, “ Vaomi asserted.

He further informed that when the committee contacted the PHED Ukhrul division over the delay in restoration works, the department expressed their helplessness despite their best efforts as they were lacking both manpower and machinery for the restoration works.

Vaomi conveyed that the department was learnt to have proposed the government for sanctioning of Rs. 80 Lakhs for the repair of the damaged reservoirs and pipeline structures but no positive response has come forth till date.

“We are ready to provide manpower in our own capacity but the department needed technical skills for the works”, he continued.

At the same time, Vaomi disclosed that in connection with the current water crisis, a meeting of the committee was held on Thursday at TNWL office and unanimously resolved to take up tree plantation at the Shirui hillside in April of every year from 2018 onward so as to salvage the only water source of the town.

 “For this, we decided to ask the district administration to reserve Rs. 2 lakh and also to appeal to the villagers stop felling trees”, he said.

The meeting further resolved to check unauthorised tapping of pipeline water from the sources to households, and also to demand additional water reservoir in the town, and mobile water distribution to different localities to mitigate the situation, Vaomi said.

“On July 31, the committee is planning to do a spot survey at the water sources at Shirui Hills along with department”, he added.

IMPHAL | July 28

The Assembly today unanimously passed Rs. 14,039,299,000 for four demands. The demands were for land revenue, stamps & registration and district administration (Rs. 101,69,19,000), finance department (Rs. 12,75,92,38,000), state excise (Rs. 18,84,98,000) and sales tax, other taxes/duties on commodities and services (Rs.7,46,44,000).

Opposition leader O. Ibobi Singh, MLAs Th. Lokeshwar Singh, K. Meghachandra Singh, Kh. Joykishan Sigh and R.K. Imo Singh O. Lukhoi Singh, Y. Surchandra and Dr. Y. Radheshyam took part in the discussion.

Deputy chief minister, who is also in-charge of finance, Y. Joykumar Singh moved “The Manipur Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2017, education minister Th. Radheshyam Singh moved “The Manipur Private School (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2017 and also “The Manipur Coaching Institute (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2017” and the bills were passed.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

Takhelmayum (O) Shilla Devi, wife of late Takhelmayum Kenedy Singh asked the authority of Raj Medicity to produce the result of the sample send for lab test for H1N1 (swine flu) for her husband.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club, Imphal Shilla said that her husband was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science on July 20 due to cough and he was discharged on the same day.

On the next day he was admitted to Raj Medicity as he had breathing troubles during which Dr. Th. Joy diagnosed him as a strong suspected case of H1N1 and kept him in ICU and later transferred to isolation ward, she added.

Raj Medicity sent throat swab of the patient for examination of H1N1 to IDSP, medical directorate and asked to provide 20 numbers of personal protective equipment and 200 numbers of Tamiflu, continued Shilla.

“When I have a chat with my husband, he told me that the medicine only makes him more difficulty in breathing,” said Shilla.

She claimed that her husband was not given any medicine for the breathing problem and moreover the doctors and nurses treated him without much care.

On the morning of July 24, her husband was declared death by the hospital due to lung failure but on the next day it was found on Sangai newspaper that a suspected H1N1 patient died, she added.

Moreover, it was spread through social media that the cause of her husband’s death is swine flu though the testing result was not available till today, continued Shilla.

As a result the family stigmatised and members suffer from trauma, she added.

Shilla warned the government and Raj Medicity if any unwanted situation arises.

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | July 28

The chief minister, N. Biren Singh today informed the House during question hour that police registered 147 FIRs relating to crimes against women and five FIRs relating to homicides. The chief minister was replying to Congress member K. Ranjit Singh.

Responding to a supplementary question on punishment of the accused persons Biren, who is also the minister in-charge of home, said most of the accused persons have been arrested. He assured that number of accused persons arrested will be provided in the House during the session.

“Police investigations are on. We have opened a fast tract court for dealing with crimes against women. The charge-sheets will be submitted as fast as possible.

He further said community policing has been introduced, past records of criminals are being compiled and CID and women police stations have been strengthened.

 

Japanese Encephalitis

Responding to another question from Ranjit the chief minister said altogether 36 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been detected from January 1 to July 15 this year. The cases are one in Imphal East, seven in Imphal West, four in Thoubal, one in Bishnupur, three in Chandel, 19 in Churachandpur and one in Senapati districts.

He further said measures have been taken to contain the outbreak of the disease under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

 

Package

Planning minister N. Biren Singh informed the House that the state government announced package of Rs. 201 crores for Ukhrul, Rs. 175 crores for Kangpokpi and Rs. 202 for Senapati for implementation of development projects in the hills. He was replying to Congress member K. Meghachandra.

He further said the packages were announced based on fund availability under various sources including centrally sponsored schemes etc. and development priorities.