Shillong, Apr 6: Senior Congress legislator, Zenith Sangma urged the state government to take measures for immediate protection of catchment areas and water sources in the state.

Immediate steps should be taken otherwise there will be huge water scarcity in the future, Sangma said while participating in the debate on the Governor’s Address in Assembly here on Thursday.

He said that in the name of giving water supply schemes, sometimes the source of water is also not examined.

Pointing out that crores of rupees were spent in the name of afforestation during the world environment day, Sangma however said, tree saplings are mostly plant in urban areas and roadsides while rural areas are totally forgotten.

Expressing concern over the rampant practice of excavation of earth, he said that the government should come up with certain regulations on the matter.

Sangma said that the Integrated Basin Development Livelihood Programme was initiated to create avenues for the rural population which would also check migration of rural people towards the urban centres of the state.

Meanwhile, he also expressed surprise that efforts of the State Government to come up with Engineering colleges did not find a mention in the Governor’s address.