The New Shillong Water Supply Scheme has received administrative approval for Phase I, with a budget of Rs 538.44 crore allocated under the State Plan, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N. Marak informed the Assembly on Monday. Responding to a query from VPP MLA Heavingstone Kharpran, Marak confirmed that the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract has been awarded to BAC Infratech Private Limited, and work is already in progress. Current Progress and Infrastructure Development Significant advancements have been made, including: Completion of surveying, investigation, and design for various project components. Procurement of materials and ongoing construction of approach roads. Finalisation of soil testing for all structures. Initiation of construction work on the acquired land. Phase I: Key Features and Water Supply Plan Phase I is focused on drawing water from the Wah-Umkhen River and includes: Construction of a dam, two jack wells with pump houses, and an approach bridge. Pumping of raw water at an initial capacity of 33 million litres per day (MLD), with future scalability to 70 MLD. Transportation of water via pipelines to a water treatment plant (WTP) near Bri-Heh village, Mawpdang, for processing and distribution. Advanced Technology Integration: SCADA and IoT Systems A standout feature of the project is the integration of advanced technology to ensure efficiency, including: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for automation and real-time monitoring. Internet of Things (IoT) technology for: Water flow tracking Leak detection Pressure monitoring Centralised command room for immediate issue resolution and efficient management. Selection of BAC Infratech Private Limited Minister Marak clarified that, due to the technical complexity of the project—particularly the installation of SCADA and IoT systems—it was not feasible to divide the work among multiple contractors. BAC Infratech Private Limited was awarded the contract based on its technical expertise and experience in executing such large-scale projects. Phase II: Future Expansion Plans While Phase I is well underway, Phase II is awaiting approval and will focus on: Construction of clear water pumping mains and gravity mains. Development of reservoirs and distribution networks. Implementation of smart metering for precise water usage tracking. Introduction of smart billing systems, integrating real-time data into the central command room for accurate and transparent monitoring. Ensuring a Reliable and Sustainable Water Supply Minister Marak emphasised the need for seamless integration between Phase I and Phase II to create an efficient, uninterrupted water supply system for New Shillong Township. He cautioned that any gaps in planning or execution could disrupt operations, compromising the project’s ultimate goal: delivering a reliable, sustainable, and technologically advanced water supply to the region.