Water is life: Biren

Imphal: “Water is life and we cannot survive without water,” Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh said on Wednesday and urged the people to understand the importance of water.

Biren was speaking at a state level awareness campaign on “World Water Day 2023” under the theme Accelerating Change, organised by the Public Health Engineering Department at Khuman Lampak, here.

He also flagged off a bike rally on Water Conservation as part of the campaign. The rally will conclude at Sendra, Bishnupur.

The chief minister stressed that forest and trees are integral to the water cycle and that the government has been laying emphasis on Green Mission Manipur since the beginning of the previous term.

The call to preserve and conserve reserved forest and protected forests area is for the people, especially those living nearest to the forest cover, he said adding that these people should protect the forest covers.

He expressed his desire for engineers and officials of PHE, Water Resources and Forest to organise rallies to the hills where there are massive deforestation and to create awareness among the villagers on the importance of trees and to create a sense of ownership for the forest covers amongst them.

Urging the people to use water wisely, Biren said the government is also putting efforts to provide sufficient water to the people. He said during the recent lean period, the government brought water from Thoubal Project and created a reservoir at the Chingkhei Ching water treatment plant and created filling points at Khuman Lampak.

Civilisation is not just infrastructural development, but also people having civic sense, he said urging the people against polluting river water by washing clothes in the river or leaking septic tanks into the river.

Biren elaborated on the impact of illegal drugs in the society. He highlighted the need to identify addicts and for local clubs and organisations to offer proper counseling and care without any victimisation or humiliation to the families with addicts to encourage their recovery.

Speaking on Har Ghar Jal Mission, the chief minister said almost 75 percent of laying of pipes has been completed but it is no use if there is no water source.

He encouraged the people to plant more trees and develop small tree covers in the valley areas also. Highlighting filling of ponds and other water bodies to construct community halls, he urged the people against filing up of water bodies.

The chief minister said the government is seeking to rejuvenate Lamphelpat and other water bodies and to preserve and protect Lotak lake.

The observation was also attended by PHE minister L. Susindro Meitei, Textiles, Commerce and Industries minister Nemcha Kipgen, Water Resources minister Awangbou Newmai, Transport minister Kashim Vashum, MLAs Th. Arunkumar Singh, Leishiyo Keishing, Sapam Kunjakeswor Singh, Khongbantabam Ibomcha among others.