Meghalaya: Water crisis persists in Chokpot as residents demand action on stalled project

Local NGOs and residents of Chokpot in the Garo Hills have called for immediate government intervention to address a decades-long water crisis affecting the region.

Representatives from the Garo Students' Union and Chokpot Area Vigilance Committee (CAVC), alongside community leaders, met with Public Health Engineering Department officials to discuss the long-delayed Greater Water Scheme.

"For over twenty years, our community has been forced to rely entirely on the Dareng River for water," said a spokesperson for the coalition of local organisations in a press release. "Despite having a functional PHE office in our area, we have received no reliable water supply from the department."

The Greater Water Scheme, which was officially sanctioned in 2022, has shown minimal progress in implementation. During the meeting, the Sub-Divisional Officer promised to expedite the project and begin work shortly, though residents remain sceptical given past delays.

Community leaders have emphasised the urgent need for the Meghalaya government to prioritise the project, citing the growing population and increasing water scarcity in the region.