SHILLONG: The Rs 500 crore New Shillong Township project's work has been started by the Meghalaya government, an important step toward upgrading the region's water infrastructure, but with local contractors in the phase in focus skepticism.
Public Health Engineering Minister Marcuise N. Marak confirmed the project has moved to the stage of physical implementation. "We floated tenders of around Rs 500 crore, and work has already begun on the ground," he said.
Responding to the criticism of local contractors regarding being denied participate in the project, the public health engineering minister said that even implementing advanced technologies wouldn't make space for them.
We understand the need for the local contractors to have work opportunities. However, for the sake of good governance and the state's future, we have to lean on new technologies. Unfortunately, many of the local contractors do not have sufficient knowledge to handle such advanced systems," Marak said.
The NST project includes the SCADA system that relies on internet-based tools for the real-time monitoring and maintenance of the water system. This system enables officials to easily identify and correct problems in the event of pipeline bursts.
"SCADA technology avails instant problem identification and solution. It is a game-changer for effective water management but requires expertise that local contractors currently lack," Marak added.
Along with this NST water supply project, the PHE department has presented a proposal to the cabinet in order to deal with the wider issues of Shillong's water distribution system. According to Marak, while bulk supply is looked after by the PHE department, SMB deals with the distribution, which has faced many problems.
We have discussed the problems with the chief minister and the urban affairs minister. A new distribution system is being considered but would depend on cabinet approval," he said.
Marak also hinted at looking into internet-based water supply systems for the Shillong area, subject to fiscal support. "If funding permits, we would consider adopting similar advanced technologies for other parts of the city," he added.
The NST water supply scheme is one forward-looking approach toward solving the water supply problem in Meghalaya. By assuming the adoption of cutting-edge technology, it focuses attention on the need for capacity building of local contractors so that more local people can be involved in future schemes.
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