As Meghalaya is reeling under severe heat waves and dry spell conditions, Mawphlang dam, the main reservoir supplying drinking water to Shillong, is drying up.
Photos of the reduced level of the dam have gone viral on social media. Similarly, the Umiew river which feeds the dam is also drying up faster, raising concerns about an imminent water crisis in Shillong.
Chief Engineer of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department Badarisha M. Lyndem today issued an advisory to the residents of the city, stating they should use water “judiciously and adopt water-saving” practices wherever possible.
Lyndem said due to the ongoing dry weather conditions and “various factors”, the water level at the Mawphlang dam has decreased notably.
“However, despite this decrease, the storage capacity of the dam still allows for water distribution for another three-four months under the prevailing circumstances,” she said in a statement.
“In light of this situation, the public are requested to use water judiciously and adopt water-saving practices wherever possible. Conserving water is not just a necessity but a responsibility towards ensuring sustainable water supply for the community”, the official added.
The prolonged dry spell has aggravated the situation. Meghalaya has seen rainfall deficiency during the month of April and this has continued so far till date.
According to officials in the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall deficiency in East Khasi Hills has been 20 percent less than normal during April.
Besides the dry weather condition, another issue of concern that has contributed to the drying up of Mawphlang dam is deforestation of the Umiew catchment area and rampant stone quarrying in the upper reaches of the river.
Despite the State water policy speaking about the need for measures to protect water catchment areas, the State government till date is yet to come up with a law to deal with catchment areas.
PHE Minister Marcuise N. Marak also said that Shillong may face a serious water crisis if there is no rain in a month.
According to him, the State government is actively pursuing initiatives to mitigate the crisis, with projects totaling Rs 350 crore aimed at rejuvenating the catchment areas of vital rivers such as Umiew and Ganol, which serve as lifelines for Shillong and Tura, respectively.
Meanwhile, since March of this year, many parts of Shillong have experienced severe water scarcity as the water supplied by the PHE Department was not sufficient to meet the needs of each household.
Due to the situation, private water tankers are having a field day. In many localities of the city, small and big water tankers can be seen bringing water to households. People have to shell out between Rs 300 to Rs 1000 to buy such water.
