CM lays base for Ampati water supply scheme

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

AMPATI, Nov 18: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Friday last laid the base for the Greater Ampati Water Supply Scheme at the Ampati Public Health Engineering (PHE) Division Complex near here. Dr Sangma also launched the Handicraft Training Programme being organized by the department of commerce and industries for the district during the programme. He was accompanied my PHE Minister Prestone Tynsong and Mahendraganj MLA Dikkanchi D Shira.

The greater Ampati Water Supply Scheme is an ambitious project conceptualized by Sangma to meet the demand of potable water for the people of South West Garo Hills in general and Ampati in particular. The project with an estimate of Rs 139 crore was sanctioned under the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and work is slated to commence from the month of December this year.

The project includes laying of 350 mm thick pipeline for 60 kilometers starting from the tapping base at Balka wari. The pipeline will cover 74 villages en-route to the storage tanks and benefit altogether 79 villages.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister expressed his happiness at being able to meet the ‘expectations and aspirations’ of the people of the region. He informed that though the project had been conceptualized quite earlier the sheer magnitude of the undertaking inhibited its speedy implementation.

Speaking on the need for conservation and protection of water catchment areas, Sangma stated that misuse of resources will negate the initiatives for sustaible development and declared the need for authorities take care of water resources.

He informed that the government has undertaken a comprehensive endeavor to harness maximum benefit of water resources and termed the WSS a green project which will be the cornerstone for all other similar projects which will be initiated wherever possible all over the State in the days to come.

Speaking on a new initiative of the government to stock water in negative spaces along river basins, Sangma said these stocks would be used to irrigate and recharge rivers. He later announced that Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned for a project to restore the Daru river through irrigation.