Meghalaya faces water crisis: Minister Marak highlights solutions and GSWSS Phase III progress

Shillong, Nov 25: Meghalaya’s Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister, Marcuise N. Marak has admitted water supply challenges in Shillong, especially with the dry season approaching.

Residents in Meghalaya often face severe water shortages during this period.

Marak reassured the public about the government’s initiatives to tackle the issue, stating, “For the lean season, I would appeal to our people, the residents of Meghalaya, that we can’t do anything about the dry season, and we can’t do anything about the sources going down. The flow of the sources is very less now. That is the reason why the government is taking lots of initiatives to revive those dry sources. Some of these sources need to be rejuvenated, and projects are in the pipeline. Some of the projects couldn’t be implemented yet due to certain procedures. Once these are done, I think we’ll be able to address the situation we are facing. But I appeal to the people to be very careful about our future, especially for our children, to protect and rejuvenate our water sources.”

On the status of the long-delayed Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III, Marak assured progress, stating, “Now everything is on the right track. Work has already started, which was pending for so long. I need to review the project myself, and after the review, I will be able to give you an update on the status.”

Regarding the project’s timeline, the Minister confirmed that the government aims to complete the scheme by March next year.

Marak also addressed financial concerns, which have been a significant bottleneck in the past, particularly in securing central government funds. He clarified, “After the third enhancement of the project, there should not be any financial difficulties for the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme Phase III.”

Originally sanctioned in 2008 and slated for completion by December 2023, the project aims to meet the growing water demands of Shillong and surrounding areas, aligning with the city’s rising population.

Read: Meghalaya PHE Minister calls for cutting edge technologies in urban development

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