SHILLONG: Mawphlang legislator SK Sunn has asked the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department to address the issue of shortage of water.
Moving a motion in the Assembly on Friday on water scarcity in villages surrounding the Greater Shillong Water Supply (GSWS) Project at Mawphlang and en route villages, Sunn said the GSWS Project (Phase I & II) was commissioned 33 years ago in September 1986. Likewise, the water supply system to the surrounding as well as en route villages was also commissioned simultaneously about 30 to 33 years ago.
In the late 1990s, while according approval to the revised project proposal of GSWS Project (Phase I & II), there was a direction to delink the supply of water to urban areas from the rural component.
In 2000-2001, the government delinked the supply of water to the surrounding villages from the project by pumping spring water from Umrisain stream for supply to the villagers of Mawphlang, Mawngap, Marbisu and the en route villages through the existing reservoir and distribution networks of the respective villages which were commissioned 30-33 years ago.
The water supply system of the respective surrounding and nearby villages has twice outlived its designed life of 15 years.
Hence, the pumping system for the villages was taken up and commissioned in 2001-2002 resulting in acute water scarcity in the villages.
There are about 15 villages under Laitkroh Elaka within Mawphlang constituency.
According to Sunn, the water supply position in the villages of Laitkroh Elaka is not good and the existing Nongthymmai Combined Water Supply Scheme, which caters potable water to few villages under Laitkroh Elaka, has outlived its life. The source of the scheme has reduced considerably over the years. The galvanised iron pipes (GI), which cover few villages under the existing water supply scheme, have also become highly corroded.
Sunn said he had been actively raising the issue of water scarcity in villages like Mawphlang, Mawngap, Marbisu, up to Sadew and Marbaniang Umseiniong including villages under Laitkroh Elaka.
According to Sunn, from April 14, 2018 to July 8, 2019, he had written six letters to the government at different levels and there was no response.
He said in 2018, when the Law College students were camping at Marbisu for NSS with topics on cleanliness, they carried a placard that read “We cannot maintain cleanliness without water”.
Their plea for water was published in a section of the press and recently, report on acute water scarcity along the en route villages of Mawkriah, Laitjem, Sadew and other places, were highlighted by the media.
Sunn said he had also informed the government about the acute water scarcity in the villages under Laitkroh Elaka and villages on the Mawphlang side of the river Umiew surrounding the GSWS Water Works including en route villages. However there was no feedback.
According to Sunn, though there are two schemes that government has accorded sanction to improve the supply to the affected villages, these were not executed.
They are renovation of Dympep Combine and shifting the sources of supply of Mawjrong and Nongthymmai Combined Water Supply Sheme.
Another project is Mawphlang, Mawngap – Marbisu Combined Water Supply Schemes.
Sunn said on January 29 he had written a letter to Chief Secretary informing him that he had not received a single acknowledgement or response to his letters. He also said in the letter that lack of response on the part of the PHE will compel him to approach the court of law to get justice.
He reminded the department that law of the land provides that the right to safe drinking water is a fundamental right. He also asked the PHE department to perform responsibly.
In reply, the PHE Minister, Samlin Malnginag, assured to implement the water projects.
