Shillong and the perennial water thirst
Shillong, proudly called the ‘Scotland of the East’, receives among the highest rainfall in the world. Yet, for its residents, clean drinking water remains a daily battle. In a city drenched by monsoon clouds, dry taps have become the norm rather than an exception.
The irony is striking. While heavy rains lash the hills, many localities face acute scarcity, especially in the dry months and even during the rainy season due to infrastructure failures.
Old, leaking pipelines under the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) cause massive losses every day. Rapid urbanisation, population boom and delayed projects have further strained the system.
Just recently, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma engaged with Rangbah Shnongs and community leaders, where water supply emerged as a top grievance alongside drainage and roads.
The impact is felt deeply in daily life. Families in upper and peripheral areas rely on expensive water tankers or distant springs. Students miss school hours fetching water, hygiene suffers and health risks rise from unsafe alternatives.
Even after emergency repairs, such as those in December 2025, normalcy often remains elusive.
Another shutdown is scheduled for May 25, 2026, for essential maintenance under GSWSS, reminding citizens once again of the fragile system.
The roots lie in poor maintenance, deforestation affecting natural springs and slow implementation of augmentation projects. Forest loss and urban sprawl have reduced the city’s natural water recharge capacity.
Yet, hope lies in collective action. Strengthening leak detection, enforcing rainwater harvesting in new constructions, reviving traditional springs through community-led efforts via Dorbar Shnongs and fast-tracking smart water management under ongoing schemes can turn the tide.
True progress in Shillong will not be judged by how much it rains, but by how wisely we capture, store and equitably distribute every precious drop.
The ‘Abode of Clouds’ deserves better than perpetual thirst.
An exposed fuse box hangs precariously from the railing opposite the Office of the East Khasi Hills Deputy
Commissioner near Ward’s Lake in Shillong, posing
a serious safety hazard to pedestrians. (ST)
