Shillong: The opposition Trinamool Congress in Meghalaya on Friday said that 60 per cent of the houses in the State are “waterless” due to the “incompetency” of the State government.
“While the state celebrates 5 years of double-engine victory, the state infrastructure cannot quench the thirst of 60 per cent of the residents under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM),” the TMC statement stated,
Noting that Meghalaya is blessed with more than average rainfall and has abundant natural water resources, the statement said, “yet the multi-pronged implementation of reaching 100% success in JJM by 2022 is procrastinated.
The pledge made by the State government to cover 1096 villages with 100 per cent tap connection by 2020-21.
In 2020, Meghalaya presented the Annual Action Plan to achieve 100 per cent household tap connections to the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti for approval. The State Government had proposed 100 per cent tap connections to all households by December, 2022.Â
Out of 5.89 lakh total rural households, the State pledged to provide 1.80 lakh tap connections in 2020-21.
“It is shameful that 60 per cent of houses in the state with the highest rainfall are out of drinkable water. Mawphlang, the only source of water in Shillong is affected by stone quarrying which has a destructive influence on the ground and surface water.* Distinctly, the state does not have a comprehensive water management policy,” the TMC statement said.
“Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar informed that so far the state has completed around 40 per cent of the project, excusing his statement with the weak claim of a surge in the steel pipe prices,” the statement said.
“The Government of India approved Rs. 175 crore for implementation of JJM, water will be available only to 40 percent. Can Chief Minister Conrad Sangma answer if the money was too little in amount to buy pipes or is it the effect of infighting between the two alliances, i.e., NPP-BJP,” the TMC asked.
