By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 3: PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak said the unannounced water shortage reported in parts of Mawprem and Jaiaw Pynthor could be linked to ongoing work under the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) Phase III, noting that the department had not yet determined the exact cause of the disruption.
He said testing under the project had been carried out from the dam site to the treatment plant, but issues may be arising from the distribution network, where work remained unfinished in some areas.
Residents of parts of Mawprem and Jaiaw Pynthor have reported an unannounced shortage of water in recent days, prompting concerns over irregular supply in the localities.
Marak explained that the distribution system under Phase III is divided into 12 zones, and progress in a few of these zones was still underway. Because of this, he said certain localities might currently be receiving reduced quantities of water. He added that once Phase III is completed, the department was hopeful of ensuring steady supply.
The GSWSS Phase III, sanctioned in 2008, reached the commissioning and testing stage last month after more than 17 years of delays. Marak reminded that the government had successfully completed commissioning and testing of the first stage and had moved to the second stage, involving the pumping of water from the present site to the Mawphlang treatment plant.
The latest commissioning marks a significant development for Shillong’s water supply system, as the project will add an additional eight million litres of water per day to the GSWSS once phase three is fully operational.
