The governing body meeting of the Ri Bhoi District Water and Sanitation Mission constituted under the Sector Reforms Project of the Government of India was held recently in the office chamber of Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang. The meeting was attended by all the MLAs of Ri Bhoi district including the Deputy Commissioner, Ri Bhoi and the chairman of the governing body. The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of work under the Sector Reforms Project in the district.

It may be mentioned that the Government of India, under the Sector Reforms project aims at bringing reforms in many sectors especially water supply sector and sanitation.With this end in view, the Government of India launched the water supply scheme in the year 2001 and had identified 64 districts across the country for implementation of the project.

Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya is one of the privileged districts. This water supply scheme is sponsored by the Government of India at a cost sharing basis in which 90 per cent of the project cost is borne by the government and 10 per cent by the beneficiaries. After the water supply scheme in a village is constructed under the supervision of the District Water and Sanitation Committee, it is handed over to the Village Water and Sanitation Committee who will over see the water supply in the village and take responsibility of operating and maintaining the water supply.

Before the villages are identified, information, education and communication (IEC) and awareness campaigns were held in different villages in the form of public meetings at the village level and inputs from the Health Education and Social Welfare Department, skits and dramas and interactive sessions and also training on installation, operation, maintenance, chlorination and protection of the source were being organized by the District Water and Sanitation Committee.

In Ri Bhoi district, 64 villages and 100 schools were identified by the District Water and Sanitation Committee for implementation of the water supply project at the estimated cost of Rs 975 lakh. In the first phase of the Sector Reform Project, implementation of the scheme is being taken up in 25 villages.

In the meting, the governing body has approved the remaining 39 villages in Ri Bhoi district placed by the District Water and Sanitation Committee for implementation of the scheme in the second phase of the Sector Reform Project. Besides, the governing body has also approved the implementation of the water supply arrangement in the premises of 50 schools of Ri Bhoi district in the first phase for schools. These projects are expected to be completed during the year 2003-04.

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