Water conservation need of the hour, says Manipur CM

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday called for conservation of water to address the water scarcity problem of the state.

The northeastern state has been reeling under acute water shortage with multiple rivers drying up due to lack of rain.

Speaking at a state-level awareness campaign on World Water Day 2023, the chief minister said “the government is working hard to provide water for the people to mitigate the water scarcity problem in the state”.

“We have already started delivering water through a special pipeline from Chingkhei Ching water supply reservoir,” Singh said.

The government is also prepared to lift water from Loktak Lake, the chief minister said.

The chief minister also flagged off a Bike Rally on Water Conservation as part of the campaign. The rally will conclude at Sendra in Bishnupur district.

Appealing to people to harvest rainwater and learn ways to save water, Singh said “the scale of deforestation for poppy plantation is immense”.

Speaking as the chief guest of the observation, 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.

Afforestation in both hill and valley areas is a necessity, the chief minister added.

World Water Day is observed on March 22 to create awareness about the importance and conservation of water.

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