By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 16: As Shillong endures a crippling water shortage for the seventh straight day, residents across the city are voicing intense anger and frustration, accusing the Meghalaya government and the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of gross negligence, inadequate planning, and a glaring lack of accountability. The prolonged disruption has exposed deep-rooted systemic inefficiencies, leaving citizens—especially in hard-to-reach areas—to fend for themselves without meaningful alternative arrangements.
Barring localities like Laban, Lumparing, Nongthymmai, and Laitumkhrah, the rest of the city was lef without water, compelling households to depend on private tankers at inflated prices, hitting economically weaker families the hardest.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, residents painted a grim picture of daily hardships.
Farewell Nongkynrih from Wahingdoh emphasised that it is the government’s duty to ensure water reaches locality-level tanks even during shutdowns.
In areas like Riatsamthiah, Wahingdoh, and Malki, where terrain makes tanker access impossible, the crisis has been particularly acute.
“The government has its own fleet of tankers and must deploy them in emergencies. When we delay tax payments, connections are swiftly disconnected, yet now we’re forced to buy water just to survive,” he fumed, slamming both PHE and municipal authorities for “incompetency”.
Similar views came from Steve Khyriem in Qualapatty, who called for better coordination with Dorbar Shnongs and utilisation of available resources to prevent total shutdowns lasting days.
Highlighting the plight of poorer households unable to afford repeated water purchases, he said, “If those who can afford it are struggling, imagine the suffering of the poor. Persistent crises like this could lead to mass agitation if no permanent solution emerges.”
Omarlin Kyndiah of Lama Villa decried the absence of timely updates, coordination, and a restoration timeline, arguing that regular tax-payers deserve compensation for service failures.
Evangelist Nicholas Khongwar from Mawprem accused PHED of treating citizens with disregard, recalling that the original notice promised only a four-day disruption from December 10-13.
He urged the Meghalaya High Court to take suo-motu cognisance and encouraged advocates to file a Public Interest Litigation against ongoing neglect.
In Kench’s Trace, restaurant owner Wanlam Nongkynrih shared how the shortage has disrupted his business, forcing the family to buy costly water and switch to disposable plates for meals. With winter compounding chores and nearby rivers dried up, daily life has become arduous.
“Tanker operators are exploiting the situation with hiked rates—we can’t sustain this,” he said.
In Mawkhar, Ksan Warjri recounted exhausting stored water reserves, describing this as the longest outage residents have endured, far beyond the manageable one or two days.
Dorbar Shnongs of several localities amplified these grievances, focusing on the disproportionate burden on vulnerable groups and the perennial delay in commissioning the GSWSS Phase-III.
Riatsamthiah Rangbah Shnong Mariahom Kharkrang explained that initial stocking helped during the announced four days, but the unannounced extension caused widespread distress.
“Poorer households have no options,” he said, acknowledging departmental challenges but insisting water—a basic necessity—be restored urgently on a “war footing”.
Laban Rangbah Shnong Edward Kharwanlang highlighted recurring pipe bursts and unscheduled disruptions as symptoms of poor maintenance.
He ridiculed the “blue pipelines” laid over 15 years ago with promises of better supply that remain unfulfilled amid rapid population growth.
Nongrim Hills Rangbah Shnong Bantylli L. Narry noted that his locality’s reliance on the Wah Umkhen cushioned the blow slightly, but the seven-day shutdown still caused heavy impact.
With locality populations surging 60-70% since 2005 without corresponding infrastructure upgrades, he questioned the unfulfilled assurances of GSWSS Phase-III completion since 2017.
In contrast, Laitumkhrah Rangbah Shnong Andrew A. Jyrwa attributed milder effects in his area due to coordination between PHED and the Shillong Municipal Board.
Adding to the problems of the residents is the proliferation in overcharging by tanker suppliers. In some localities, 1,000 litres of water was being delivered for anything between Rs 800-1,000.
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) lambasted the government’s “unthoughtful” handling of the water crisis, with spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh asserting that access to water is a basic right for all. He demanded prompt temporary measures and greater urgency in responses to such emergencies.
“It is understandable that emergent situations do arise but the response of the government to public services should also be prompt and done with a sense of urgency,” he added.
He pointed out, “Since accessibility to water constitutes the right to life, the government should have attended the matter with great responsibility to save the people from great hardships. The Department concerned should have worked out for a temporary solution to provide water supply to the people.”
The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) submitted a memorandum to PHE Minister Marcuise N. Marak, seeking immediate intervention. It called for a high-level technical and administrative audit, time-bound replacement of ageing pipelines, accountability fixation, and disciplinary measures against lapses. Vice-president Francis G. Mawlong termed the recurring breakdowns an “alarming and unacceptable” administrative failure rooted in neglect, poor planning, and absent preventive maintenance.
Warning of escalated action—including legal remedies—if ignored, HYC stressed that citizens cannot indefinitely tolerate such erosion of basic rights.
As public resentment escalates, calls intensify for transparent communication, robust accountability, and comprehensive long-term reforms to break the cycle of Shillong’s recurring water crises.
