SHILLONG, March 7: The much-delayed Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase-III is likely to be completed by September this year. PHE Minister Renikton L Tongkhar said that the contractors have set September as the deadline to finish Phase-III of GSWSS even as he informed that the government too is “determined”.
Talking to reporters after the meeting with contractors and senior officials of the department to take stock of the project, Tongkhar said that the contractors were not pressurised by the department for the deadline, instead they proposed it at the meeting.
“We have unanimously decided to speed up the work. We are all determined to resume the work on the project immediately,” the minister said.
Replying to a query, he said that the contractors have agreed to resume their work after the government had sanctioned the revised estimates of Rs 65 crore.
He informed that they have also assured the contractors of necessary support to help them start work at the earliest.
The minister further sought the cooperation and assistance of the Public Works Department in completing the project.
“We will need the cooperation of the Dorbar Shnongs to ensure that the contractors are able to execute their work without any problem. The GSWSS Phase III is an important project for the people of Shillong city,” Tongkhar said.
Earlier, the defence authorities had given the PHE department permission to lay the main feeder pipes through the Cantonment areas, including Khlieh Iewduh, thereby having a major hurdle resolved that had delayed the implementation of the GSWSS Phase-III. The PHE department had been seeking a nod from the defence authorities to lay the pipes in certain areas under Shillong Cantonment Board since 2018.