GSWSS-III may keep year-end date

SHILLONG, July 13: The state government is optimistic about completing the much-delayed phase III of Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) within this year.
PHE Minister, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar told reporters on Tuesday that the department is determined to complete the project within the year despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The department is trying to recover the time lost. The physical progress of the project is 80%. The project received a major boost after the state government had sanctioned an additional amount of Rs 65 crore for its timely completion.
“The project had been pending for a long time but the government took up the matter seriously and sanctioned the extra amount which inspired the contractors to continue with the work,” Tongkhar said.
He defended the delay in construction due to land issues that had made the department sit with the landowners for renegotiations.
The GSWSS Phase III is expected to mitigate water woes being faced by Shillong residents. The project was scheduled for completion in June this year. It was approved by the Centre at a cost of Rs 193.50 crore in October 2008 and with the completion deadline of May 2011.
The objective was to create infrastructure to provide for the supply of additional 24 million litres of water to the projected population of Shillong Urban Agglomeration from 2011 to 2041.
Meanwhile, the Upper Shillong Water Supply Scheme was inaugurated on Tuesday after a long delay of 11 years. The project was sanctioned in 2010 at a cost of Rs 33 crore, later revised to Rs 39.95 crore. Under the project water will be supplied to 47 villages falling under Mylliem constituency.
Tongkhar inaugurated the project in the presence of local MLA, Hamletson Dohling.
Former chief minister, Mukul Sangma had laid the base for the project on July 14, 2014.