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Dimapur, Feb. 21 (EMN): The Public Health Engineering Department (Phed) Nagaland in its annual report 2019-20 stated that four projects under urban water supply schemes are in progress. It said the projects have been undertaken by the department through funds from the state government and various central government ministries such as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and DoNER.
The four urban water supply schemes are augmentation of water supply to Kohima town; water supply to New Secretariat area (Phegei) Kohima; augmentation of water supply to Zunheboto town phase-II (commenced from 2016-17); and building programme under state plan, informed the report.
The scheme for augmentation of water supply to Kohima town was taken up under 90:10 funding under the Centre’s Ministry of Urban Development and it involves pumping of water from Zarü stream to a reservoir at Kigwema village through two stages of pumping. Water from the reservoir will be then supplied to the state capital by “gravity”. The department’s report stated that the design of the project is 3.80 million litres daily.
"The main infrastructures have been completed and the distribution system is under control. The project is targeted for completion during the year 2019-20,” the report updated.
In order to meet the water demand of New Secretariat area (Phegei) Kohima, a water supply scheme was taken up during 2012-13 under State Plan sector with an estimated cost of INR 249.00 lakh. The expenditure as of March 2019 for this project was INR 210.51 lakh with a physical progress of 85% and the project is targeted for completion in 2019-20, stated the report.
As per the report, the scheme for augmentation of water supply to Zunheboto town phase-II was taken up under State Plan during the year 2016-17 with an estimated cost of INR 1658.13 lakh, and out of this approved cost, HUDCO provided a loan of INR 500 lakh during 2016-17. The up-to-date expenditure as on March 2019 was INR 520.00 lakh with a physical progress was 38% as of February 2019.
And the fourth urban water supply scheme was construction of office building for the Superintending Engineer, PHED in Dimapur and for the Executive Engineer PHED in Mon town which is under progress under the State Plan.
As per the report, six water supply projects were funded by other ministries/agencies out of which four were funded under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) and two under North Eastern Council (NEC). The water supply scheme for 24 villages of Chiephobozou RD block under NLCPR with an approved cost of INR 2626.41 lakh was intended to provide drinking water supply to one of the scarcest blocks in Nagaland. The project, the report stated, was initially sanctioned during 2009-10 and revised during the year 2010-11.
Water supply scheme to Mon village and four surrounding villages -- Lempong Sheangha, Phuktong, Tuimai and Leangnyu -- in Mon district under the NLCPR was sanctioned during 2015-16 for an estimated cost of INR 1546.67 lakh by the Ministry of DoNER. The physical progress is 85% and is targeted for completion during the year 2019-20, the report updated.
Another project under NLCPR that was sanctioned during the year 2017-18 for an estimated cost of INR 1893.16 lakh was water supply to Samzuiram village in Peren district which is under execution and the anticipated expenditure (up to March 2020) was INR 870.85 lakh.
The project to provide water supply by gravity to Aboi headquarters and Longching EAC headquarters in Mon under the NLCPR that was sanctioned during the year 2017-18, was for an estimated cost of INR 965.98 lakh. The project is under execution and anticipated expenditure (up to March 2020) is INR 444.5 lakh during 2019-20, the report stated.
Under the two NEC-funded projects, providing water supply to Akuk old village in Wokha district by pumping was sanctioned during the year 2013-14 for an estimated cost of INR 285.22 lakh and the project was targeted for commission in February 2020. The other project was the augmentation of water supply scheme through stream water sources in Japukong range covering five villages under Mokokchung district. This project, the report stated, was sanctioned during 2013-14 for an estimated cost of INR 484.74 lakh. The financial progress was 100% and is targeted for commission within 2019-20.
Communitisation
As per the report, a total of 1215 or 79% of the total number of habitants have so far been brought under the ambit of communitisation. WATSAN (Water and Sanitation) committee is the beneficiaries 'legal agency' and is constituted by the village council. WATSAN committee was formally recognised and empowered by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Phed.
Revenue collection
The department, the report stated, generates revenue by way of water fees from registered water consumers mostly from urban areas of the state. Water fees from rural water consumers are collected by the WATSAN committees which augment the internal resources of the committees for operation and maintenance of the village water and sanitation facilities and therefore do not contribute to the department’s revenue, it stated.