Meghalaya: Shillong faces water shortage amid dry spell

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma visited the Um Jasai catchment area in Shillong on Saturday to assess the water scarcity situation caused by the ongoing dry spell.

"Many streams throughout the state have extremely little water intake," Chief Minister Sangma said.

This visit came after a series of meetings held by Sangma to understand the water crisis. He was accompanied by officials from various government departments, including the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, during his visit.

While Meghalaya typically receives ample rainfall, this year's prolonged dry season has resulted in water shortages in Shillong and other areas.

The Meghalaya government has undertaken several initiatives in the past year to revitalize streams, springs, and rivers. These efforts include large-scale water supply infrastructure projects and a strong focus on protecting catchment areas.

"We should use various interventions, like rainwater harvesting and replenishing groundwater tables, to rejuvenate the state's various water bodies and store the water as much as possible," Sangma said.

The Chief Minister highlighted the government's plan to construct check dams in strategic locations to store water.

"The government has also started to implement mitigating measures to make things better overall, Despite the difficult times we are facing, we should be able to improve the overall situation in the coming years," Sangma said.