By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 15: Residents of Shillong are grappling with severe frustration as the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department extended a four-day emergency water supply shutdown by another three days, plunging most of the city into an acute shortage.
The disruption began on December 10 following a pipeline burst in the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) at 101 Area under Division-I. The PHE announced a four-day shutdown till December 13.
However, without any prior notice the department announced through a DIPR advertisement on December 14 evening that the shutdown would continue until December 16.
Nearly the entire city—except Laban, Lumparing, Nongthymmai, and Laitumkhrah—has been without piped water, forcing households to buy water through tanker supplies at exorbitant rates, exacerbating financial strain on economically weaker sections.
The Executive Engineer (PHE), Greater Shillong Water Supply Division-I, stated that the shutdown was necessitated by emergency repair work on the damaged pipeline and assured that all efforts were being made to restore normal water supply at the earliest.
The department expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and appealed to the public to bear with the situation.
The prolonged outage has sparked outrage from West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh and East Shillong legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Paul Lyngdoh convened an emergent meeting with PHE officials to take stock of the situation, while Ampareen Lyngdoh spoke to PHE Minister Marcuise N. Marak to seek clarity on the department’s efforts to restore water supply to areas dependent on the GSWSS.
“This kind of performance leaves much to be desired,” Paul Lyngdoh said, expressing concern over the lack of professionalism.
“We expect much higher levels of efficiency from the department,” he added.
Ampareen Lyngdoh voiced deep anguish over the prolonged shutdown, questioning the decision to suspend water supply for seven days without adequate consultation or communication. “Residents have already endured six days without water and are now being asked to manage for some more days. Forget that I am an MLA, how ordinary families will manage their homes?” she questioned.
Highlighting the plight of economically weaker sections, she said many families were unable to afford purchased water, and in some recent bereavement cases, municipal authorities had to be requested to supply water for funeral rites.
“This is very, very sad and disturbing. We have a right to know why water has to be shut down for seven days,” she said, warning that any further extension could lead to chaos in the city.
The East Shillong MLA also expressed concern that the crisis is unfolding at the onset of winter.
“What will happen when the dry season is at its peak?” she asked, cautioning that the situation could worsen if corrective measures are not taken urgently.
Department sources blamed administrative inefficiencies, poor coordination among engineers, and lack of field experience for delaying repairs and contingency measures like temporary lines.
Sources further warned that unless experienced and efficient engineers are posted in critical divisions responsible for Shillong’s water distribution, such crises may recur, potentially leading to a collapse of the city’s water supply system.
Sources also claimed that the present Executive Engineer in-charge of GSWSS has no field experience as he has always been posted at the PHE head office since his joining.
Sources further informed that two main Sub Divisions of the GWSSS — Colony Sub Division and Water Main Sub Division — are headed by two women Sub Divisional Officers (SDOs) who are unable to be present on site during the night hours to ensure that repair moves smoothly.
PHE Minister Marcuise N. Marak and the Chief Engineer of the department were not available to comment as they could not be reached on their mobile phones.
