KHM seeks Health Minister's intervention

CONTAMITED WATER

A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Jan 19: The Khun Hynniewtrep tiol Awakening Movement (KHM)’s Youth Wing today urged the Health Department to collect water sample being supplied in Shillong city once a month along with the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.

It may be noted that earlier KHM Youth Wing took the initiative of collecting sample from the clear water storage of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme located at 4½ Mile Upper, Shillong to King Edward VII Memorial Pasture Institute and Medical Research Institute, Shillong, where the experts found the pH level of water to be 5.7.

“The PHE claims that they conduct test once in every two months however we want the Health Department to carry out their own test simultaneously with the PHE so that the people can be reassured that the water they are using in their daily life is safe and after the test the report should be published in newspapers,” KHM youth wing president Thomas Passah told newsmen her on Tuesday.

He said, since the PHE department is trying to downplay the issue by claiming that the water is safe KHM have decided not meet the PHE Minister or any officer from the department. “We took a decision to meet the Health Minister because this issue concerns the health of the people and we have requested the Health Minister to intervene,” he said.

He added, “We are saddened by the clarification made by the PHE department that they have labs and other latest equipment but as per RTI reports the PHE has not appointed any chemist or microbiologist to check the quality of water at the Mawphlang PHE dam.

According to him, the Health Minister has given an assurance to them that he would take up the issue seriously.

He informed that KHM had sent the water sample for testing not just to the Pasture Institute but also to the Pollution Control Board.

He however said that they have so far have not received the report of the sample which was sent to the Pollution Control Board.