Prioritize clean drinking water supply

As per the recent media report, Itanagar township will soon get a new 7 mld ‘lift water supply project’ to meet the growing demand for drinking water. This is welcome news but much is needed to revamp the water supply system in the Itanagar capital region. The PHE & WS department has estimated that at present, total requirement of drinking water for the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) is 57 mld. While the Itanagar town has a deficit of 12 mld, the Naharlagun town is facing a deficit of 17 mld.

It is understood that a proposal for 42 mld from the Senki source in Itanagar has been submitted to the state government to improve the drinking water supply. The state government should take up this project as a priority. There is an urgent need to augment the water supply in the entire ICR region. Day by day the population is growing and the demand for drinking water is also growing at a tremendous pace. The state government should start making long-term term plans to meet the demand. The ICR region is also expanding as many new settlements are being established without basic facilities. It is the duty of the state government to ensure that every citizen receives clean drinking water in their respective homes.