- NET Web Desk
The scenic Mawlyngot hamlet along Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district, almost 45 kilometres away from Shillong, has adopted an afforestation scheme to prevent soil erosions – a disaster which reduces soil fertility; thereby negatively affecting crop yields.
Despite the utmost necessity of wood, villagers have learnt the process of safeguarding trees to prevent the natural catastrophe; informed the Secretary of Community-led Landscape Management Project (CLLMP)’s Village Natural Resource Management Committee (VNRMC) – Yeomanly Mynsong.
According to The Meghalayan report, the project has approved Rs 3 lakhs for 10,000 cherry blossom tree, bay berry, and other tree saplings.
Its worthy to note that the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) – an SPV under the Planning Department of the Government of Meghalaya, is implementing the CLLMP, which is sponsored by the World Bank.
On the other hand, the Wahktieh check-dam has benefited the community, because it distributes water to 60 households under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) initiative.
He elaborated that the village’s executive committee erected a check-dam under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, to address the issue of water scarcity.
The executive committee, on the other hand, determined that the check-dam was not sufficiently powerful and requested for prompt improvement under the CLLMP project.
“With its help, we were able to lay a solid foundation,” he said, pointing to the PHE’s Mawphlang Division pump house, which receives water via JJM pipelines.
