SHILLONG: A chamber of a borewell located at Nongrah constructed by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department was left in ruins after unknown miscreants tried to remove the chamber in the wee hours of Monday.
Ban Pyngrope, headman of Nongrah, told reporters that the borewell was constructed by the department on November 30.
The total cost of the project was Rs 5.92 crore and Nongrah got a share of the first phase in the PHE project meant to ameliorate the problem of water shortage at Nongrah. He said that the PHE has constructed a chamber to protect the borewell. But the work of the PHE has been ruined by unknown miscreants.
“The PHE drilled the bore-well on November 30. But there were apprehensions so the PHE took precautions and constructed a chamber to protect the bore-well,” he said. “The miscreants intended to destroy the borewell but there was a protection plate that was wielded to the casing that prevented the miscreants from completely destroying the bore-well,” he added.
In connection with the act of vandalism, PHE has filed an FIR for which the Dorbar Shnong of Nongrah is also a signatory of the FIR.
According to Pyngrope, the incident might have taken place after 1am on Monday. He added that the scheme is for the benefit of the public it will enhance water supply to Nongrah.
The Dorbar Shnong has condemned the act of vandalism and expressed disappointment with the damage done to public property and pointed out that safety cannot be guaranteed to public property.
“We have no idea as to what prompted the people to commit such an act. It would have been a major destruction had it not been for the wielding of the protection plate,” he said.
The state government scheme was brought to Nongrah by local MLA Jemino Mawthoh.
