SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is also the in-charge of the Planning Department, has termed the drinking water crisis as the most crucial problem in the state.
“Drinking water is an important issue for us. We will look into the matter,” Sangma said in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Speaking during the question hour, Sunn pointed out that the Rymbai Water Supply Project is still pending with the Planning Department.
To this, the chief minister replied, “The matter will be examined.”
Earlier, Sunn moved a motion in which he pointed to the presence of a spring inside the Rymbai Protected Forest called Phe Phe, in East Jaintia Hills which could be tapped and supplied to the town.
Stating that the proposal by the PHE (Public Health Engineering) Department to utilise this water source for supply to Khliehriat and Rymbai is yet to materialise, the legislator said, “The revised sanction of the scheme under the name Greater Rymbai Water Supply Project is reported to be lying with the government for disposal since the last 3-4 years.”
Responding to Sunn’s motion of March 22, PHE Minister Samlin Malniang said, “The department will make extra effort to ensure speedy implementation of the ongoing schemes.”
Malngiang added that the department will ensure supply of adequate and safe water.