A project under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has reportedly been labelled complete even though the villagers are not receiving any water through the new pipes.
The village concerned is Umtlih in Ri-Bhoi. Following a spot inspection, the Confederation of Ri Bhoi People (CoRP) has threatened to move court over the alleged anomalies in the scheme’s execution in the village.
The JJM scheme aims to provide tap water connections to every household but appears to have fallen short in Umtlih, leaving the community without the promised access to drinking water.
Based on complaints from residents, CoRP conducted a spot inspection and found that, despite the project’s completion by the assigned contractor, no water has been supplied to the households.
Christina Sten, a resident of Umtlih, said that despite the JJM scheme, villagers still face an acute shortage of drinking water. Residents must travel long distances to obtain water for drinking and can forget about washing and bathing.
Residents were initially informed that the work was part of a repair scheme only to later discover it was under the JJM. They reported that water flowed through the pipes only at the beginning but has since stopped, contradicting the scheme’s promise of providing tap water connections to every household.
Following the inspection, CoRP president Bandari Ryntathiang expressed deep concern over the alleged anomalies. He blamed the project’s failure on the department’s lack of monitoring, which has left local villagers without access to water. Ryntathiang also highlighted that the project utilised an old water reservoir and pipeline, misleadingly claiming it as part of the JJM scheme.
