NONGPOH: Poultry farm company, Meghalaya Agro-Vet Private Limited was shut down on Tuesday after it repeatedly failed to honour the demands made by the headmen of Umsning area, under the umbrella of Umtrew River Protection Committee (URPC) urging it to remove all wastes released into Umtrew River besides constructing a sewage treatment plant.
Angered at the company’s non compliance, local headmen, the MDCs of Umsning and Mawhati along with local residents locked the poultry farm located at Mawthei in Ri Bhoi District.
Mawhati MDC James Sylliang said the poultry farm was causing health hazards to the people of the area since it discharged waste directly into the Umtrew River which is a source of drinking water for several villages.
The headmen of Umsning area along with NGOs had inspected the poultry farm well over a month ago and asked the company to construct a sewage treatment plant besides serving a month’s deadline to remove all wastes from the Umtrew River. The headmen also lodged a complaint with the Ri Bhoi District administration and EAC M Lytan conducted a spot inspection of the farm as well as the areas from where it released the wastes. But no action was taken by the Deputy Commissioner, Ri Bhoi District or by the KHADC to curb the ‘irregularities’.
Speaking to The Shillong Times Umsning MDC Donkupar Sumer and Mawhati MDC James Sylliang said that the headmen along with the residents of different villages were compelled to lock the farm for the company failed to act upon the deadline served to it during the inspection conducted few months back.
“People of these two constituencies (Umsning & Mawhati) are not against the development that can be brought about by this company, but they are concerned over the unhygienic methods applied by the company which was releasing waste product directly into the Umtrew River which is the only source of drinking water to many villages in the area,” Sumer and Sylliang opined. Sylliang, however, condemned the damaging of the company’s vehicle by some unknown miscreants.
Meghalaya Agrovet Private Limited Coordinator, Bernadine M Mohkhiew, admitted that the company had erred and assured that the farm would not be made functional until sewage treatment plants are installed.