Williamnagar, Dec 12: The inauguration of the newly developed Soil Lake in Williamnagar on Friday became a platform for the Meghalaya government to underscore its expanding climate-resilience agenda, with Soil and Water Conservation Minister Marcuise N. Marak warning that the State’s water security is under mounting threat.

Speaking at the event, Marak thanked Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for sustained support in advancing conservation-focused development. He stressed that Meghalaya’s shrinking water resources demand urgent and coordinated action.

“We need to conserve our water bodies for the future generation,” he said, noting that declining spring discharge, erratic rainfall, and accelerated soil erosion have emerged as key climate-linked challenges over the past decade.

Marak said nearly 70,000 springs support the State’s rural households, yet many are deteriorating rapidly. “Over 40 percent of villages have already reported some level of reduction in water availability during the lean season,” he said, calling the trend alarming.

To respond to the growing risks, the State government has constituted a Meghalaya Climate Change Council to guide long-term mitigation and adaptation. Marak said the government is partnering with national research institutions and global agencies to bring scientific rigour and sustainable technologies to water source rejuvenation.

He outlined several interventions underway like Spring Rejuvenation Programme, Community-driven, climate-adaptive water harvesting systems and large-scale conservation structures such as check dams, recharge pits, and water harvesting units.

More than hundreds of spring-shed management plans have already been rolled out, he said, with work prioritised in the most water-stressed villages. Over the next few years, more than 500 new conservation structures will be constructed to support irrigation, improve groundwater recharge, and buffer communities against floods and drought.

Earlier, L. Shabong, Director of the Soil & Water Conservation Department, described the newly revived Soil Lake—developed under the Nengsang River Valley Project—as a model for integrating conservation with eco-tourism. Spread across 0.5 hectares with a storage capacity of nearly 10,000 cubic metres, the lake demonstrates how ecological assets can also generate sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Shabong said the Department has begun building a comprehensive source-discharge database to identify drying water sources, especially those linked to drinking water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He added that the government has also initiated a climate-adaptive, community-based water harvesting programme that will create 533 structures to support lifesaving irrigation, flood control, and micro-hydropower potential in select areas.

Also Read: Meghalaya’s Gibbon Guardian Betsida Marak awarded Green Guru honour

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