By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The drinking water supplied from the Umsohlang Water supply Scheme at Mawlai to over 15 localities in Mawlai was found to be unsatisfactory and unfit for cooking and drinking.
This report came to the fore after the KSU Mawlai Circle had sent the water sample for testing at the Pasteur Institute on March 19 and 25 following complaints from the people on the foul smell emulating from the water and various skin diseases they have acquired after consuming the same.
The KSU Mawlai Circle also slammed the hypocrisy of the Pasteur Institute for conducting the tests on name based of the water schemes while referring to the previous case when they had sent the same water sample last year on March 31, 2012 and provided the name of the Umsohlang Water supply Scheme as the source.
“The report we received last year was satisfactory and totally different from the one we received this year and what raised our concern was when the real report of the water sample collected from Umsohlang surfaced only after we provided a false name of the source as Umbir, Ri Bhoi”, KSU Mawlai Circle President Kitboklang Kharlyngdoh said.
The KSU has demanded the PHE to take serious note of the matter and create a diversion to separate the dirty and filthy water coming from areas where people wash their clothes, their cars, cut the meat and others which also flows to the dam constructed under Umsohlang Water Supply Scheme.
On Saturday, the KSU Mawlai Circle again conducted an inspection at the source of the Umsohlang Water Supply Scheme and found out that the source was filled with plastics and other non-degradable wastes which are hazardous to health.
The KSU also asked the local MLA to take steps to clean this source of drinking water with the help of the Mawlai Town Dorbar and the people to ensure that people don’t suffer because of the water supplied from that source.