Meghalaya attempts replica of Australia’s Murray–Darling model

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Meghalaya has digitally mapped all 75,000 of its springs in a sweeping, technology-driven effort that could alter the state’s water destiny. In a land blessed with relentless rain yet haunted by chronic water shortages, the government has turned to advanced science with a rare sense of urgency. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, drawing parallels with Australia’s celebrated Murray–Darling Basin revival, said the state is now using Artificial Intelligence, satellite imaging, LiDAR scans and drones to understand every stream, every flow, and every drop before it slips away. He stressed that the mission is not just technical—it is a race to protect Meghalaya’s lifelines before they run dry.

“We can tell you exactly today, using Artificial Intelligence and all the software, where we should construct what kind of dam to ensure that maximum water is retained,” Sangma said, explaining how satellite imaging, digital surveys, LiDAR scans and drone mapping have already charted every spring. Despite receiving 63 billion cubic metres of rainfall annually, the Chief Minister warned that “water is a big problem… a lot of rain doesn’t mean that water is enough,” with 61 billion cubic metres simply flowing away to Assam and Bangladesh due to poor retention.

He stressed that Meghalaya is “one of the first states in the country to have what we call a water policy,” introduced in 2019 to guide an integrated, technology-driven approach to water management. He said the spring-mapping project now enables the government to identify the most effective and economically viable points for constructing reservoirs and dams. “If I talk to the engineers, they will tell us we have to build a reservoir here, here… and how much would it cost? Around 300 crores… But then, if I use technology… the software, with just the press of a button, will tell me you don’t need to do all of them… you need to do it only in 10 locations.”

He shared a striking example from Upper Shillong, where initial projections for reservoir construction reached nearly Rs 100 crore. After advanced mapping and topographical analysis, the government achieved the same outcome at just Rs 4.5 crore. “That was possible because of technology,” he said.

Sangma said he hopes to eventually install auto-detecting sensors across all mapped springs to generate real-time water-level data, although financial constraints remain a challenge. Citing the Murray–Darling Basin—a sprawling, complex river network in southeastern Australia—he recalled how automated systems and precision mapping helped New South Wales emerge from a crippling water crisis. “That’s a great, great study… a great example of what technology can do, and we are trying to replicate that,” he said, adding that while Australia’s system is far more advanced, Meghalaya is determined to take “that first step” by placing sensors, slowing the flow, preserving its springs, and charting a new future for water security.

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