SHILLONG: The proposed amendment to the Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Areas Act, 1990 has been hanging fire for the last three years.
Official sources on Friday said that the State Government has not been able to move forward the proposed amendments due to peculiar land tenure system.
“With the majority of the catchment areas falling under private land, the State Government will have to take the land owners into confidence before going ahead with proposed amendment to the existing Act,” official sources said.
As per the proposed amendment, official sources revealed that the State Government was planning to identify various catchment areas as critical and non-critical to be able to prioritize those critical areas which are facing serious threat due to various unwanted human activities
“The Government is also contemplating to acquire all the land which falls under various catchment areas including those which are private-owned. This is the only way the Government would be able to protect the catchment areas in a better and effective way,” official sources said.
Moreover, official sources said that everyone is aware there is a serious threat of the drinking water resources due the various human activities including rampant felling of trees along the catchment areas.
“The Government cannot put a blanket ban on these activities which are going on along the catchment areas since the real ownership of the land belongs to the private parties,” official sources said while expressing concern over the way the catchment area along Lum Shyllong (Shillong Peak) and also the catchment area for the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) are deteriorating with each passing day.
While referring to the main source of drinking water at Mawphlang dam which supplies water to the whole city, he said, “source is facing a huge threat thanks to the unscientific method of stone quarrying by individuals at Umtyngngar (Mylliem) and Mawjrong.
“This dam which supplies drinking water to the city via the Greater Water Supply Scheme at Mawphlang is faced with a threat of being filled up with sand and pebbles due to the unscientific method of stone quarrying by individuals at Umtyngngar and Mawjrong,” official sources said.
While pointing out that the Government cannot put a ban to this unscientific mining which is a threat to the main source of the GSWSS, official sources said that the land tenure system practiced in the state has enable individuals to make use of their land in whichever way they want without any interference of the government.
Expressing fear over this unscientific method of stone quarrying, the 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”.
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 preserving these catchment areas due to the prevailing land tenure system.
