SHILLONG: United Democratic Party (UDP) general secretary Jemino Mawthoh sought a report on the status and progress of Nongrah Water Supply Scheme from PHE Minister Samlin Malngiang on Tuesday.
Mawthoh, who also was the former MLA of Nongthymmai constituency, said that he was informed by Malngiang that the work was crippled as location for setting up treatment plant was not identified but expressed optimism that an area of about 8000 sq. feet has been identified and the traditional heads from Nongrah are prepared to hand over the documents to the PHE Department.
The Nongrah Water Supply Scheme comprises Lummarboh, Nongmarboh, Nongpdeng, Dongktieh and Nonglum falling under Nongthymmai constituency.
“We expect the phase I to be complete in 2021”, Mawthoh said. He added that Mawphlang dam cannot be burdened with supplying water to entire Shillong but other sources of water have to be tapped.
Mawthoh pointed out that Nongrah areas falling under Nongthymmai have been experiencing acute water scarcity for decades altogether.
He informed that the areas of Nongrah and Lapalang have been excluded from the GSWSS (Phase IIl) and was informed that it will probably be included in Phase IV, which he said, will not be completed in their lifetime.
The two water augmentation schemes taken up by the PHE Department, Hills Division in the past are not able to cater to the growing population.
He said there is an urgent need to enhance the capacity of the overflowing water at source.
He informed that in 2013, he tried to include Nongrah locality under National Rural Drinking Water Mission and a scheme amounting to Rs.27 crore was mooted but due to the standard criteria relating to open defecation free status, the scheme had to be abandoned.
Mawthoh informed that the Nongrah Water Supply Scheme (Phase-1) amounting to Rs. 5,92,73,000 to cover a population of more than 12,000 was approved by PHE on March, 2017 which was vandalised by miscreants who damaged the chamber of a bore well, which is part of the first phase of Nongrah Water Supply Scheme prompting the PHE to lodge an FIR on December 4, 2017.
