By Our Reporter
Shillong: Faced with acute shortage of water, the State must preserve the catchment areas in order to thwart the severe crisis of the prized liquid that could hit the future generations here, said a professor of the Centre for Scientific Education, NEHU.
“The available sources of water in the state have been reduced to either a mere drain or a barren land. The failure to foresee this threat will result in a war for water,” Prof Bisht said while the first ‘Eco-Fest’-Save Catchment campaign organised by the Rising Son Sports, Social and Cultural club at St John Bosco School, Lawsohtun here on Saturday.
Shifting the responsibility on the government, Bisht said the authorities should plan well before establishing a city or town while suggesting that the catchment areas should be preserved at a higher elevation and settlement areas should be established in the lower elevation.
Bisht also stressed on the need for community participation in protecting and preserving the catchment areas. “One should take note of the available small streams which makes a river. If these streams are blocked, the rivers will be reduced to small drains,” he said.
It may be mentioned that the city already faces a crisis like situation when it comes to supply of clean drinking water.
Bisht also observed that despite being a state rich in natural resources, Meghalaya encounters many problems in respect to upliftment of the livelihood of the people and the same is evident from the number of people living below the poverty line (BPL).
It may be mentioned that around 46 per cent of the state’s population lives below the poverty line.
Meanwhile, former KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling, who was the chief guest on the occasion gave away certificates and mementos to 30 successful students of Lawsohtun area who have excelled in their SSLC and HSSLC examination 2012.
Other dignitaries present on this day included chief engineer of PHE (Environment and Sanitation) I Huru, CSWO (I) president Irene Hujon, Rangbah Dong of Lawsohtun Block II Don Rynjah, teachers and students of various schools of Laban and Lawsohtun areas besides others.
