Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited the Um Jasai catchment area in Shillong, accompanied by officials from the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Urban Affairs departments, and the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA). The ongoing dry spell in the State has resulted in a severe water shortage across the region. Chief Minister Sangma’s visit follows a series of meetings aimed at understanding the water crisis. He also took the opportunity to urge the citizens to take upon themselves the responsibility to conserve water at their household level. He also assured that the government will not allow any mining activities around the catchment areas, so that the water bodies can be protected.