Meghalaya: Shillong Water Crisis Deepens as PHE Extends Shutdown to Seven Days Amid Public Outrage

Residents across most of Shillong in Meghalaya are facing severe hardship due to an extended emergency shutdown of the piped water supply under the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS), which has left households scrambling for alternatives amid soaring costs.

The disruption started on December 10 after a major pipeline burst in the 101 Area under Division I. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department initially announced a four-day shutdown until December 13 to carry out repairs.

However, on the evening of December 14, the department issued an advertisement through the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) extending the shutdown by three more days until December 16, without prior notice to the public.

Nearly all areas of the city—except Laban, Lumparing, Nongthymmai, and Laitumkhrah—are affected, forcing families to rely on private water tankers at inflated prices. The situation has hit economically vulnerable households the hardest.

The Executive Engineer (PHE), Greater Shillong Water Supply Division-I, explained that the prolonged shutdown was essential for urgent pipeline repairs and assured residents that every effort was being made to restore supply as soon as possible. The department also apologised for the inconvenience and urged the public to cooperate.

The extension has triggered strong criticism from local legislators. West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh held an emergency meeting with PHE officials to assess the crisis and described the department's handling as lacking professionalism.

"This kind of performance leaves much to be desired," Lyngdoh said. "We expect much higher levels of efficiency from the department."

East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed profound distress over the seven-day outage and questioned the absence of proper consultation and communication. Speaking to PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak, she highlighted the struggles of ordinary families.

"Forget that I am an MLA—how will common households manage their daily needs?" she asked, noting that many low-income families cannot afford tanker water. She cited instances where municipal authorities had to provide water for funeral rites in bereaved households.

"This is very sad and disturbing," Lyngdoh added. "We have a right to know why the supply must be suspended for seven days." She warned that any further delay could spark widespread unrest, especially as the crisis coincides with the start of winter.

"What will happen when the dry season peaks?" she cautioned, calling for immediate corrective action.

Department insiders attributed the delays to administrative lapses, poor coordination among engineers, and insufficient field experience. They warned that recurrent crises could threaten the city's entire water distribution system unless more competent personnel are assigned to key divisions.

Reports also claimed the current Executive Engineer overseeing GSWSS lacks practical field experience, having spent his career primarily at the PHE headquarters. Additionally, two critical subdivisions—Colony and Water Main—are led by female Sub-Divisional Officers who, due to safety concerns, are unable to supervise repair work onsite during night hours.

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