SHILLONG: Pointing out that the State is blessed with the highest amount of rainfall, Principal Secretary of Soil and Water Conservation PBO Warjri rued the fact that the State has not been able to retain this blessing.
“The total amount of water which precipitates from Meghalaya either goes to Bangladesh or the Brahmaputra. We are able to retain very less water,” Warjri said after the release of the annual report of the State Soil and Water Conservation department on Tuesday.
It may be mentioned that the State receives bountiful rainfall in its southern river basins and boasts of the highest annual rainfall in the world in the Sohra-Mawynsram belt. According to the State Water Resource Department, the average annual rainfall in Meghalaya is 2,818mm. But the retention of the precipitation is discouraging.
“Estimates point out that a mere 1.6 per cent of the total precipitation is being retained in the State. This is a small margin if we compare the amount of rainfall we receive.” Warjri said.
For retaining the rain water which precipitates in the State, the Principal Secretary said that the department is promoting the concept of rainwater harvesting in various parts of Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, Soil and Water Conservation Minister Prof RC Laloo said that the department had adopted scientific means to reduce the flow of water into rivers and prevent soil erosion and had introduced schemes to control jhum cultivation.
On the erosion of soil in rivers along the Indo-Bangladesh border, as in the Umngot at Dawki, because of illegal collection of boulders by Bangladeshi nationals, he said his department was yet to cover the areas along the international border.
“At the moment, the department is primarily concentrating its activities only within the borders of the State,” Prof Laloo added.
