SHILLONG: The Centre has tagged the much-delayed Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III as ‘incomplete’ and included it under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for early completion.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge PHE, R.C. Laloo, on Monday informed the Assembly that a communication and an office memorandum in this regard were received by the State Government from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Raising a supplementary question, UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh pointed out that the Centre had deducted Rs.17 crore from the project fund as the State Government had failed to adhere to certain norms under JNNURM which affected the implementation of Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme Phase III which was initiated in 2009.
Mawthoh added that several localities in Shillong were reeling under acute shortage of water and reminded that he had raised the matter in the House in 2013.
Earlier, the recurring shortage of water supply in several areas in Mawlai was taken up by the local legislator Embhahlang Syiemlieh (UDP).
During the question hour, the Deputy Chief Minister in charge PHE admitted that there was acute shortage of water supply in Mawlai constituency and cited that it was due to increase in population.
Syiemlieh said that he had received complaints from people of several localities of Mawlai and had raised the matter in the House in 2013 and again in 2014, but in vain.
There are as many as six water supply schemes which cater to the needs of Mawlai including the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme, Mawlai-Mawdatbaki-Umjan water supply scheme, Mawlai-Mawdatbaki scheme, Mawlai Kynton Massar scheme, Mawlai Mawroh scheme and Mawlai Umjaiur scheme.
Syiemlieh also pointed out that some of the water supply schemes had become non-functional.
Laloo admitted that some water supply schemes were very old and the pipes had been corroded which resulted in leakages, and hence laying of new water pipes was the need of the hour.
He expressed confidence that with the change in the funding pattern of the Union Ministry of Finance, the State Government would be able to avail necessary funds to address the issue of water scarcity.
