From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The most awaited centrally sponsored river pumping water supply scheme for Jowai town from river Umngot might take time to be commissioned though officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) claim that it would be commissioned by March next year.
With a view to meet the water demands of Jowai town and its surrounding villages including Mihmyntdu and Ialong villages, the PHE Department started the project in 2004-05 and the water project was sanctioned under NLCPR by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India in 2002.
This scribe paid a visit to the project site on Tuesday and found that the intake tower has been raised and if the work goes on smoothly, it will take another three to four months to be completed.
It may be also mentioned here that concerned residents of Jowai including Sajeki Passah, HH Mohrmen, Ch. Passah and Michael Buam recently filed a writ petition in the High Court against the PHE Department for slow progress of construction work and delay in the project. The case is still going on in the Court.
Speaking to some of the PHE officials here in Jowai, it was learnt that the concerned department has set a target of March 2012 to commission the project.
“The progress of work is in full swing as we have already raised the intake tower and floor leveling is under progress”, said an official.
He also informed that last month, the work was stopped for two weeks due to some illegal activities by some labourers working there.
Sources also informed that a meeting attended by MLAs, MP and PHE officials held recently at Polo Tower discussed the issue and a deadline for March 2012 was fixed for commissioning the water project.
