With the onset of
the monsoon, the
colour of the water at Mawphlang dam, which supplies water to the whole city under the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme, has changed from green to brown as a result of the unscientific stone quarrying by private individuals.
Improper stone quarrying at Umtyngngar poses serious threat to the Mawphlang dam, especially during the rainy season when all the sand and pebbles flow from the excavation site to the Umtyngngar and Umiew rivers before heading to the dam.
“Constant monitoring of the water is being done by the PHE. Despite all this, we are faced with bigger issues to restrict the impurities”, a PHE official stated.
The PHE department used to collect the water sample, both raw and treated water and send it to the Meghalaya state pollution control board to check the pollution level of the water.
The Meghalaya state pollution control board (MSPCB) has informed that the treated water of the Mawphlang dam is still within the permissible limit for drinking purposes despite the change in the colour of the river due to unscientific method of stone quarrying by individuals at Umtyngngar (Mylliem) and Mawjrong.
Supply Scheme.
An official of the MSPCB has stated that the on its course of testing the water condition brought in by the PHE department, it was found that the turbidity of the raw water is very high and it is above the permissible limit for drinking purpose, however, the treated water is still within the permissible limit.
“The PHE department brings the samples to the board from time to time and on testing, it was found that the treated water which is supplied to the entire city is within the permissible limit for drinking”, the MSPCB source told this scribe here on Monday.
The last sample collected by the PHE department and tested by the board was last month.
The land tenure system practiced in the State has enabled individuals to make suitable of their land without government interference. This in turn has made it difficult for the authorities to check the various environmental issues here.
Stating that the department has tried to construct check-dams in various sites right from Umtyngngar, however it is faced with stiff opposition from the locals as the said check dams are often constructed in their land.
Meanwhile, expressing fear over this unscientific method of stone quarrying, the PHE official said “Every year, streams are being reduced and it might pose a threat in the next 25 years as far as drinking water is concerned”.
Supply Scheme.
It may be recalled that the State Government Programme Implementation Monitoring Committee (SGPIMC) had exhorted the PHE to preserve the catchment areas, but the department has expressed difficulty in doing so due to the prevailing land tenure system.
Even though, there is a law–Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Area Act, 1990 according to which no mining activities should be carried out within a distance of 100 metre from the river banks, the same has been overshadowed by the land tenure system practiced in the state.
Recently, PHE chief engineer, SK Sunn had put forward the need for the government to amend the prevailing Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Area Act to ensure that the catchment areas are being protected and preserved while enforcing strict action against those who break this law.
The official reiterated that it is high time the government does something while calling upon the people to consider the future of the state in terms of drinking water availability.
‘A mutual understanding on part of the public will help preserve the water bodies in the state’, the official added.
(By Ibankyntiew Mawrie)