Meghalaya PHE Minister calls for cutting edge technologies in urban development

Shillong, Nov 25: Meghalaya’s Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister, Marcuise N. Marak, provided an update on the ongoing progress of the New Shillong Township, emphasizing the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies in the development. Marak revealed that the government has initiated a tender worth approximately 500 crores for the project, with physical work already underway.

However, when asked about the project’s capacity and timeline, Marak explained that the detailed project report is still unavailable, preventing him from offering precise figures.

Addressing concerns raised by local contractors and small businesses, who expressed frustration over the involvement of large, out-of-region companies in the project, Marak acknowledged their concerns. These contractors had requested that smaller portions of the work be allocated to them. The Minister responded, “We are very much aware of the works needed by our local contractors also. But for governance and the future of our state, we have to go as per the new technologies.”

He further elaborated on the challenges posed by the integration of advanced technologies, such as the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system with the Internet of Things (IoT), which are being implemented in the New Shillong Township. Marak highlighted the advantages of the SCADA system, stating, “The system will allow us to monitor issues like pipe bursts easily. Instead of sending officials to physically locate the problem, the system will reflect in the dashboard, making it much easier to identify and fix issues promptly.”

Concluding his remarks, Marak emphasized the difficulty of involving local contractors who may not have the required expertise in these advanced technologies, reiterating that the state must embrace modern innovations for effective governance and future progress.