Shillong: Following public complaints and concerns about the quality of drinking water, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) on Tuesday collected water samples from 51 localities across the city.
The initiative began at 8 am and all organisation members brought water samples to the State Food Testing Laboratory at Pasteur Institute in Shillong.
Speaking to media persons, FKJGP president Dundee Khongsit said this is done to clarify whether the water provided to the citizens is safe or not.
“We’ve given two samples from each locality, one is to check the bacteria and the other is to check the amount of heavy metal in it. The results will be out after 15 days. Once we receive the results, if it’s positive, then well and good, we will put it up in public domain. If found negative, we will urge the government to fix it,” said Khongsit.
Failure to act will compel them to protest, added the FKJGP president.
He also added that if the results come out negative, it does not necessarily mean that water in all localities across Shillong isn’t safe to consume.
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“If the results of these water samples are negative, our motive is to urge the government to rectify so that people can get safe and clean drinking water. We are not doing this to blame anyone. Our only concern is that concerned authorities should work together for the safety of the citizens,” added Khongsit.
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