Staff Reporter
SEPPA, 24 Apr: A team comprising Environment & Forest Minister Mama Natung, Seppa MLA Tapuk Taku and Chayang Tajo MLA Hayang Mangfi on Sunday assured to resolve the clean drinking water supply issue in Seppa township in East Kameng district within a month if the residents cooperate with the department.
The assurance came after a public consultative meeting held at the Nyokum Lapang here. It was attended also by the secretary and the CE of the PHED, ANSU president Nabam Dodum, NES vice president Dr Tachi Taku, and members of the East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organisation, the Women Welfare Organisation, and the public.
Briefing the media, Natung said that the residents of Kochi Nallah are creating hindrance and not allowing laying of DI pipes for fresh and clean water.
“The existing water tank at Kochi Nallah was constructed way back in the 1970s. Due to rapid expansion of human settlement above the water tank, the water is being polluted. The PHE&WS department had constructed alternative water tank at source, where there is no inhabitants, to mitigate water crisis, but the residents are not allowing to lay 150 mm pipe and demanding compensation,” he claimed.
“Without public support, how can the district administration and the PHE department be able to resolve the drinking water issue?” Natung added, and appealed to the public to “cooperate in laying DI pipes, so that fresh water can be supplied.”
The minister also claimed that, “due to hindrance created by the residents, the PHE department could not connect fresh water directly to the existing tank at Kochi Nallah.”
He also appealed to the agitating youths to join the committee which is about to be constituted to resolve the issue, instead of protesting.
“Instead of protesting and trolling on social media, I appeal the youth to join in the committee and help the district administration to convince those residents who are not allowing the department to lay DI pipe. We need to resolve the issue on ground, not on social media,” Natung said.
On the corruption charge against the PHE department, Natung stated that a fact-finding committee (FFC) is visiting the site. “The SIC inquiry would be done only after the FFC report,” he said.
The Arunachal Times has accessed a copy of the report submitted by PHED Executive Engineer Bharat Sonam to the higher authority, wherein Sonam claimed that “the reason behind water pollution is due to shifting of habitation at the upstream side of the head work.
“To address this issue, the PHED has constructed a head work at the upstream side of the habitations in anticipation of fund from the government. The laying of pipe was halted by the landowner(s) despite repeated request by JE/AE concerned. As a result, this issue is yet to be addressed,” the EE claimed.
“There is an allegation that whole Seppa township is supplied water from this source, which is not true at all. The water from Kochi source is being supplied to a few colonies. These issues will be addressed once the defunct RSF of Macha source is made operational. This Kochi source will be kept on standby for emergency purpose too,” Sonam added in his report.
It is reported that the Kochi Nallah source is being used for supplying water to some colonies of Seppa township, such as Type-I, Type-II, Boso Colony and Rajabapak.
