SHILLONG: A delegation of Committee on Environment of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly inspected the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) on Tuesday.
Chairman on the Committee on Environment, SK Sunn said a request would be made to the PHE and Forest department to take necessary steps to declare the dam of GSWSS as National Wetland area.
He added that by declaring it, the people would reap benefits and also be encouraged to protect the dam. The Umiew Water Supply project which supplies water to the state capital of Shillong has a catchment area of 115 sq,km.
Raising a concern on the turbidity of raw water which he said has a turbidity of the river is not less than 1500 NTU, he said the turbid water reach the treatment plant and when waste water from the treatment plant is released to the streams which dirties the stream water.
“The Committee has decided to take a decision to revise the scheme for on-site treatment of sludge so that untreated sludge is not released to the environment,” he said adding that the committee will also request the government to sanction the scheme.
He informed that the Committee decided to conduct the inspection of GSWSS as a concern was raised about the environment and climate change that will affect the water supply system.
Stating that every department has to have the climate change adaptation programme, he said the Phase-III project of the GSWSS was a climate change adaptation programme.
Speaking about the PHE-PWD tussle, Sunn said PHE was finding it difficult to complete some of the projects due to opposition from PWD and some projects were stalled.
He said the committee had asked the PHE to start the projects at the earliest.
Member of the committee, HM Shangpliang rued over the conventional ways of treating water by using alum and lime and said the PHE department should come up the latest technology to treat water.