Over 70,000 Springsheds Identified, Rejuvenating Critical Water Bodies: Meghalaya CM

Ukhrul, Mar 3: Over 70,000 springsheds have been identified of which 55,000 are mapped across Meghalaya and steps are being taken to rejuvenate 792 critical water bodies on a war footing.

Water related projects worth over Rs 4000 crore are being implemented in the state.

This was informed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma while replying to a question raised by a VPP legislator from Mawryngkneng Heavingstone Kharpran in the Assembly today. 

“We have approximately 70,000 springsheds identified till now out of which 55,000 have been mapped and rejuvenation is ongoing,” Sangma said. 

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“After study is being conducted, we found that 792 out of the 55,000 mapped springsheds are in a very critical phase (as water is completely dried up) and these are providing water sources to projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Accordingly, the soil and water conservation has come up with a Rs 32 crore project and 67 springshed will be rejuvenated at a war footing to bring back life to these springs,” he added.

He informed that 1601 springshed have been constructed in the last five years at a cost of Rs 46.62 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

“All the 1601 springshed are success stories in themselves,” Sangma said while informing that the village employment councils (VECs), people and the community are monitoring and looking after these different assets that have been created.

He said that the process of ensuring the springshed is rejuvenated and maintained is an ongoing process.

“Today with the availability of technologies, we can monitor the level of water in the springs and almost 13000 volunteers (VCFs) are trained to monitor (and report) so that we can take necessary steps (and multiple interventions for spring shed rejuvenation),” he said.

Further, the CM informed that a 62-million-dollar project under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to rejuvenate springshed and construction of 532 structures will also be implemented.

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Stating that Meghalaya is one of the few states that has a water policy, Sangma said more than Rs 4000 crore worth projects are water-related projects.

“It is very critical as government to look at water as a holistic problem and hence we have a climate council headed by the CM and all water related departments for the first time are talking to each other (for rejuvenating the water bodies in the state),” he said while adding “We have been increasing our spending and (ensure that) 30 percent of the works in the MNREGS should be water related.”

VPP legislator from Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit wanted to know if the Shillong ropeway project will affect the water sources in the area to which the chief minister replied saying, “detailed mapping where pillars will be installed have been done by the forest department, soil and water conservation and international agencies to ensure we are not affecting water sources and forest areas. Therefore, assessment is being done at multiple levels.”

He said that the issue has been looked into, where the forest department has emphasized the need for trimming of trees to avoid the need to cut down many trees and also creation of firelines to prevent forest fires.

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(Newmai News Network)