SHILLONG : The Jaintia National Council (JNC) Western Zone has issued a two-month ultimatum to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, demanding urgent action over alleged poor implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in West Jaintia Hills district.
The decision came after a delegation led by JNC Western Zone president Hamehi Bamon met officials from both the Electricals Division and Civil Division of the PHE Department.
According to the council, several villages under the scheme have completed construction of water tanks and pipelines. However, many of these projects have not resulted in actual household water supply, leaving infrastructure unused and incomplete in terms of service delivery.
Bamon said the council acted after receiving multiple complaints from residents who expressed frustration that despite physical structures being in place, water was not reaching their homes. He stated that the situation reflects poor execution of the scheme, where installations exist only in structure but fail to function effectively.
He further alleged that only partial implementation has been achieved under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the region, raising concerns about oversight and possible misuse of funds. The council also questioned how villages could be declared as implemented when water distribution remains non-functional.
The JNC has urged the PHE Department to immediately accelerate inspection and corrective measures to ensure that drinking water reaches all affected villages. It warned that continued neglect would lead to further action after the two-month deadline.
Meanwhile, PHE officials reportedly assured the delegation that necessary steps would be taken in the coming days to inspect affected areas and improve water supply distribution systems where tanks and pipelines have been completed but remain non-operational.
The council maintained that if the issue is not resolved within the stipulated timeframe, it will escalate the matter further through stronger measures.