The Meghalaya High Court has asked the State government to file a preliminary report indicating the immediate measures taken to alleviate the problems of water scarcity faced by the citizens and medium-term and long-term plans to augment the availability of water, including at Umiam and Mawphlang.
The division bench of the court passed the order on a PIL filed by Thomas Passah regarding the plight of the common man due to water shortages in Shillong.
“Of late, the citizens’ needs pertaining to electricity and water have not been met by the State. Though, ordinarily, the court would be averse to get into such matters, yet, when in this day and age citizens complain of lack of the basic amenities such as electricity and water, it calls for an explanation,” the High Court said.
Asking the State government to file the preliminary report when the matter is taken up at the next hearing on June 12, the High Court said, “The State should also look into the matter in depth and ensure that a comprehensive plan of action is made ready and an abstract thereof submitted to court at a later stage.”
Passah in his PIL complains of mismanagement in the matter of supply of water in the East Khasi Hills region, particularly in Shillong.
According to him, despite schemes like the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Meghalaya Water Harvesting Mission and the well-known fact that Meghalaya is one of the wettest places in the world, there can be no reason for citizens being deprived or water or any kind of scarcity of water in this area.
