Civil Defence and Home Guards opens new district office in Jowai
SHILLONG, Oct 18: Civil Defence and Home Guards Minister Brenning A Sangma on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed district office at Hali Synna, Jowai, West Jaintia Hills, highlighting the crucial role of trained volunteers in disaster response. Speaking at the inaugural event, Sangma noted that volunteers often act as the first responders during emergencies and their timely interventions within the critical “golden window” can save lives. He added that the department has trained thousands of volunteers in areas such as search and rescue, first aid, disaster management and community awareness, strengthening the state’s overall disaster resilience. Dedicating the new office to the public, the minister said the move reflects the state government’s commitment to enhancing institutional capacity for citizen safety. He pointed out that until now, the department had been functioning from a rented building at Dong Mihsngi, Ladthalaboh. Sangma also highlighted recent developments, including the completion of recruitment for 445 posts and the department’s first Rozgar Mela held on August 20, where appointment letters were issued to successful candidates. He mentioned that the government has approved the integration of 708 permanent posts from the Border Wing Home Guards Battalion into two SDRF battalions, a move aimed at enhancing disaster response capacity. Meanwhile, Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla, who was the guest of honour, spoke about facilitating road construction to the new office site in his capacity as the local representative. He praised the department’s volunteer training initiatives and encouraged the expansion of such programmes across Jaintia Hills and the wider state.
NHAI to repair damaged stretch of Umiam-Jorabat Expressway
SHILLONG, Oct 18: The Umiam-Jorabat Expressway is generally a top-notch road, barring a few stretches that have deteriorated in recent times. An official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) informed that potholes have developed along a 2-3 km stretch between Nongpoh and Umling due to the prolonged monsoon season. The official said that the affected section has been inspected and the contractor has been directed to carry out immediate repairs. “Since the weather has improved, we will repair it as it is a bituminous work,” the official said.
Marcuise flags off 9 vehicles under ADB-funded project
SHILLONG, Oct 18: Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak flagged off nine vehicles under the Climate Adaptive Community-Based Water Harvesting Project, an initiative funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The vehicles will be deployed across different districts to support field officers in implementing and monitoring activities under the project, which aims to promote sustainable water management and enhance community resilience to climate change. The Climate Adaptive Community-Based Water Harvesting Project focuses on improving water security in climate-sensitive regions through the development of harvesting, storage, and distribution systems. The initiative also seeks to empower local communities to adopt sustainable practices that conserve water resources and mitigate the effects of erratic weather patterns.
