‘Absolute Lie’: Villagers slam PHED’s claims on incomplete mega water supply project

Atono Tsükrü Kense
Kohima | May 7

Following the news of a mega water supply project in Nagaland remaining incomplete even after a decade since funds began to be released for it; the Zhadima Village Council (ZVC) has strongly come out against the RTI response provided by the Nagaland Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).

The Morung Express, on April 27, published a report titled ‘The Mysterious Case of the Rs. 26 Cr Water Supply Project’ highlighting how this project, designed to provide water supply to 24 villages under Chiephobozou Rural Development Block, remains non functional.

To substantiate their assertion on incompletion of work and demand for connection of distribution pipelines to the units, the village authority along with media persons visited the project site on May 4.

During the visit, it was found that no pipe connections were fitted to the units, and the pipe connections between the three empty reservoirs were found rusted with fissures. Despite the department claiming that “assets constructed are functional,” the reality shows a different story.

The Chairperson and Secretary of the ZVC were accompanied by GBs, Youth President of the Chiephobozou Range Organisation, President of Zhadima Youth Organisation, WATSAN Chairperson and student leaders.

Neilalhoulie Soliezuo, ZVC Chairperson condemned the PHED’s response to the RTI application on the project. The PHED had stated that the villagers were demanding for more water tanks. Soliezou termed this as “quite conflicting and an absolute lie.”

He pointed out that as per the Detailed Project Report (DPR), “the water pipes from the water source to the tanks were supposed to be 10 inches; however 5 inch pipes were fitted and there is no water in the three reservoirs.”

The department, he said, has also fitted half inch pipes to the 6 khels in Zhadima, while a half inch rubber pipe was brought for a khel. He further informed that till today, no pipes have been fitted to the distributing water tanks.

“Our only demand to the department was to complete the project for the villagers, and we have at no point of time demanded for any water tanks. With the money that has been sanctioned, our only desire is the completion of the project and provide water to the earmarked villagers,” asserted Soliezuo.

‘This project brought disgrace and humiliation’
“We, the Northern Angami areas were very happy when this supposedly big project was brought to our village. However, our happiness didn’t last long as even after 12 years, we didn’t get to drink even a single drop of water. Till today, the works lay incomplete,” said an exasperated Zhadima Head GB, Kedilezo M Keditsu.

Keditsu remarked that the water project has brought “disgrace and humiliation” to Zhadima village among neighbouring villages, “as by virtue, we are the caretaker of the water sources and reservoirs.”

During the dry season, he said villagers are going through untold miseries, as currently, water is brought from the stream with the help of water carrier vehicles.

“Seeing the plight of the villagers, I am so disheartened and wonder why our leaders and departmental officers have this kind of attitude towards the public” said Keditsu. He appealed to the department to complete the project with genuine concern for the public.

“Complete and operationalise the project without delay, and give us a chance to genuinely acknowledge the government’s concern to the public” he said. Keditsu also reminded that people are running out patience, and are ready to take their own course of action if the department continues to ignore their plight.

Besides completion of the project, Keditsu pointed out that the damaged and rusted pipes should be replaced and repaired.

‘Villagers should not be made scapegoats’
Vizosielie Khoubve, President of both the Chiephobozou Range Organisation and the Zhadima Youth Organisation also condemned the department’s claim of villagers demanding more water tanks. “The villagers should not be made a scapegoat or an excuse for their failure in commissioning the project,” he said.

“This may or could be functional for them, but for us it is not in a condition to be made functional because we see the ground reality of what is going on,” said Khoubve.

He pointed out that PHED Minister, Jacob Zhimomi had assured to complete the unfinished works by December 2019, “as he himself knew very well that the work was incomplete.” But we are here today, almost three years after the assurance, we do not see any progress of the work,” he said.

Khoubve said that this is one range in Kohima district which suffers the most due to water scarcity, informing that during the dry season, villagers go down 500-600 meters to fetch water from the stream line.

“We have donated our prime assets (lands) in our village for the project for the reservoirs, pumping area and distributing unit areas in the village,” said Khoubve. He cautioned that the villagers would take their own course of action to ensure full-fledged functioning of the water supply project at the earliest.

‘Where is the money?’
ZVC Secretary and WATSAN Chairperson, Roko Angami meanwhile questioned where the money went. He further questioned the department why only 9 or 10 villages would be covered by the project in the first phase, when money has been sanctioned for the approved 24 villages.

“If that is the case, where is the rest of the money against the rest of the earmarked villages in the DPR and we want to know where and how the money has been utilized,” said Angami.

He also pointed to the rust and leakage in the water tanks even before the completion of the project.

ZVC demands highest level inquiry
Meanwhile, the ZVC demanded that the State Government bring in the highest investigating authority of the country to examine the project. It has also appealed to the Nagaland Lokayukta to judiciously investigate the lapses and anomalies in the project.

In a rejoinder to the department’s RTI response, the ZVC Chairman and Secretary, Neilalhoulie Soliezou and Roko Angami stated, “the villagers didn’t demand or request the department for more water tanks. What we, the Zhadima community and its neighbouring villages longed and implore for is to let the concerned department wholly complete the project of providing water supply to 24 villages under Chiephobozou block.”

The council also reiterated that it stopped the commissioning of the project on July 30, 2019 as it was “incomplete and lacked credibility.” It informed that there were numerous lapses in providing water supply to the earmarked villages.

The statement pointed out that the tall promises by the PHED Minister to fully complete and commission the project latest by December 2019 still stand unfulfilled. “The department is trying to play a cut throat game… trying to placate the masses with false RTI replies while trying to subjugate the innocent villagers of their basic rights,” the ZVC stated.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/absolute-lie-villagers-slam-pheds-claims-on-incomplete-mega-water-supply-project