Shillong:The crisis was triggered after a major water pipeline was damaged beneath a newly constructed NHIDCL road in the 101 Area
A serious lack of coordination between the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the Meghalaya Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has led to acute water scarcity in parts of Shillong, affecting thousands of residents over the past several days.
The crisis was triggered after a major water pipeline was damaged beneath a newly constructed NHIDCL road in the 101 Area. According to the PHE Department, the pipeline lay deep under the road surface, making excavation and repair impossible. Officials were left with no option but to construct a 300-metre alternative pipeline, a process that took eight days to complete.
PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak said the damage occurred during road construction carried out over existing water pipelines without proper intimation to the department, resulting in a serious communication gap between the two agencies.
“The road was constructed above an existing pipeline. The pipe could not be accessed for repair because it was well inside the newly constructed road. This should not have happened if proper coordination had been maintained,” Marak said.
The incident occurred at a time when the PHE department was already realigning pipelines due to ongoing highway construction. While permissions and NOCs had been secured for most sections, one incomplete portion was reportedly overlooked as NHIDCL proceeded with road construction.
Acknowledging the inconvenience faced by residents, the minister said PHE officials worked round-the-clock to restore supply. Water supply has now been partially resumed and is expected to be restored fully by Thursday after the curing process of newly laid pipes is completed.
The PHE Department has sought a government-level inquiry into the incident and demanded accountability, stating that infrastructure projects must be executed with better planning to prevent essential services from being disrupted.
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