RONGJENG, Oct 28: Residents of the village of Imsamdrop near Rongjeng along with the office of the PHE, Rongjeng division, on Friday issued clarification on the implementation of Jal Jeeval Mission (JJM) in their village.
Earlier, Imsamdrop residents had alleged that the households were not receiving potable water despite the status of JJM implementation being shown as complete. They had also claimed that the overseer of the project had fraudulently obtained their stamp and later signed the completion report in the office without their consent.
The villagers had also claimed that there was no third party inspection done on the project and the entire project was faulty from the beginning itself.
Further, the PHE department was accused of not paying a visit to the village despite several complaints by the locals, including a phone call from the local MLA.
“Firstly, we would like to clarify that the overseer had no hand in taking the stamps from us. There seems to have been a terrible misunderstanding on our part due to which we are extremely sorrowful. The stamp was definitely taken but it seems it may have been done by someone from the village who wanted to impress the department’s employees,” informed the secretary of the Village Sanitation and Water Committee (VSWC).
The fact was corroborated during a meeting between PHE officials and residents of Imsamdrop during a meeting on Thursday at Rongjeng.
On the allegation of no third-party visit to the village, the PHE office informed that the same was undertaken for the project.
“The people may have mistaken the visit by us along with the third-party inspectors due to which there was confusion. We have the documentation on their visit and would like to state that without the go-ahead, the project would not have passed,” it was informed.
The overseer further said that during their visit on the project’s completion, running water was available in all taps. The project was completed early last year in 2021.
“On the issue of water not being available in the taps, pipes of the main feeder line were jammed due to which water was not flowing. The same has been immediately rectified and many houses are now getting water. We are working on ensuring all houses have water by the end of this week,” informed the PHE department.
The department was seen this afternoon in the village working on the pipelines and rectifying any blockages.
“We have also provided them with awareness on how to maintain the pipes as these will have to be done by themselves after it is handed over. Their part in the maintenance is essential in ensuring regular water supply or a similar situation will occur in the future as well,” said the department.
As per JJM, upon completion of the project, the onus of maintenance falls completely upon the VSWC, something that the department stated needed more awareness on.
The project in question is a revalidation project under JJM. It was originally supposed to cover 27 households but the department stated that it would ensure water supply to the entire 37 households that make up the village.
Meanwhile, the villagers thanked the department for taking prompt action in the matter as most now are getting a regular supply.