Shillong: Meghalaya is planning a major shift in how it handles urban water. Officials want to create a dedicated Drinking Water and Sewerage Board. This new body would mimic the Jal Board model to streamline supply and boost accountability. It shifts service delivery away from multiple agencies to one professional utility.
PHE, Soil and Water Minister Marcuise N. Marak says talks are active with stakeholders. The government aims to pass this legislation during next year's Budget Session. At first, the board will focus solely on the systems in Shillong and Tura. Marak noted the state hopes this moves water infrastructure toward a more integrated approach. "The project is expected to commence from March next year," Marak said regarding the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme. Workers have already finished about 90 per cent of that build.
The state also faces hurdles with the Jal Jeevan Mission. Meghalaya has connected 5.45 lakh rural households so far. This hits 65 per cent of their goal. However, village-level delays hold up the rest. Some Village Water and Sanitation Committees refuse to manage finished schemes. The government plans a new campaign to fix this. They will teach the committees their duties to push the remaining work across the finish line.
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