Meet Vidya Bharati alumni Er. Kandarp Koch - The Newly Appointed Engineer of Meghalaya

Er. Kandarp Koch, although belonging from Meghalaya, which translates to the abode of clouds, keeps himself grounded to serve the people of this charming hilly state of Eastern India.  He is the newly appointed Junior Engineer Grade 1 officer in Meghalaya Public Service Commission.  Like the majestic hills and cascading waterfalls of this beautiful state, the journey of his life has been quite a rhythmic one. 

Kandarp completed his schooling from Garudachal Vidyapeeth Belbari, Meghalaya. He joined the school when he was in class two and soon became a favorite of all teachers. He was good in his studies and also took keen interest in sports and social activities organized by the school. When he was in his 10th class his father passed away. Soon the family had to face a lot of hardship, as his father, who was a farmer and a vegetable seller, was the primary earning member of the house. 

“My further education became uncertain, when Shri Ram Prakash Sharma ji, the then principal of our school, came ahead to support me”, recalls Kandarp. Shri Ram Prakash Sharma belonged from Madhya Pradesh. Upon his guidance, Kandarp was sent to Bhopal to complete his studies. 

In Bhopal, Kandarp, joined the Rajiv Gandhi Senior Secondary School, from where he completed his 12th class. He then took an admission in an engineering college and completed his BE in civil engineering. After working in Surya Construction for a year in Bhopal, he returned to Guwahati in 2020 right before the lockdown. Here also, he joined another organization while preparing for Indian Engineering Services (IES) and Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC). He ranked 45th in the Meghalaya Public Service Commission exam and got appointed as a Grade 1 Junior Engineer. Currently Kandarp is working in the Jal Jivan Mission (JJM) project of the central government which aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to every home. 

“My job includes visiting villages to survey about water supply, chalking out a plan to provide safe water to each home as per liter per capita demand and preparing an estimation plan of work completion time and budget”, mentioned Kandarp. 

The aim of this project, Kandarp also shared, is to provide water supply to all houses by 2025. Kandarp is currently reasonable for the 5 areas: Resubelpara, Baghmara, Williamnagar, Ampati, Tura North and Tura Division. 

Drinking water supply is one of the major issues today. The Barapani Lake is a major source of water supply for the entire state. But due to the cutting down of acres and acres of forest and excavating rocks from the mountains, the ground water level is gradually going down in Meghalaya also, in spite of heavy rainfalls almost throughout the year. The areas with higher density of population do not receive adequate water supply during the dry seasons like winter months. 

Kandarp’s focused vision reassures us that each and every home will have sufficient supply of safe drinking water.  

If you are a Vidya Bharati alumni and would like to share your experiences and achievements as well, please email us your contact details to info@vidyabharatialumni.org and we will contact you back.