SHILLONG: Senior Congress leader Zenith Sangma has called for immediate protection of catchment areas in the state.
Participating in a debate on the governor’s address here during the ongoing Assembly session, Sangma said in the name of water supply schemes, sometimes the source of water is not examined.
While making a clarion call for protecting water sources, he said immediate steps should be taken to prevent the imminent scarcity. According to Sangma, crores of rupees are spent on afforestation during the World Environment Day, but the saplings are mostly planted in urban areas and roadsides while rural areas are ignored.
Sangma pointed out that excavation of earth has become a common practice in the state and the government must regulate it.
Earlier, Sangma said the Integrated Basin Development Livelihood Programme was initiated to create avenues for the rural population that would also check migration of rural people to urban pockets.
Meanwhile, he also expressed surprise that efforts of the state government to come up with engineering colleges did not find a mention in the governor’s address.
