Lukha, Myntdu rivers will be ‘cured’ if coal mining is stopped: Rowell

SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Water Resources Rowell Lyngdoh on Thursday informed that studies have been conducted on the water quality of the Lukha and Myntdu rivers in Jaintia Hills and stated that the rivers would attain their past glory if there is a halt to coal-mining activities.
A proposal under the Community Led Ecosystem Management Project (CLEMP) has been submitted to the union government, Lyngdoh said while replying to a question raised by Dadenggre legislator James PK Sangma (NPP) during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Thursday.
Elaborating on the salient features of the CLEMP, Lyngdoh informed that under the project, various programmes would be undertaken including reclamation of the mining areas.
When UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh wanted to know about the immediate interventions adopted by the government after the report of pollution in the two rivers, Lyngdoh did not specify but insisted that pollution of the two rivers was due to drainage of coal extraction in the mining areas.
“If there is no exploitation of coal in the mining areas, the water in the rivers will cure by itself,” Lyngdoh asserted.
Govt failed to do enough to protect Wahumkhrah, says UDP MLA
Mawlai legislator Embhah Syiemlieh (UDP) on Thursday lamented that residents living along the Wahumkhrah river were forced to bear the unpleasant smell emanating from the water.
Posing a question in the Assembly, the legislator recalled that people used to go for fishing and other leisure activities on the Wahumkhrah and decried that the state government could spend crores of rupees on beautification of Khyndailad, Laitumkhrah and the ‘Times Square’, but had failed to take measures for protection of the river.
In his reply, Water Resources Minister Rowell Lyngdoh said that the state government was awaiting Centre’s approval of a flood management project with component of channel improvement of the river.
He informed that wastes will be removed from the river under the project but added that there was no specific project for cleaning the river.
According to Lyngdoh, localities along the river were taking various measures to control dumping of wastes into the river.
When Syiemlieh inquired if punitive action including arrests can be made for throwing wastes into the river the Minister replied that there was no such provision.
To another query from Independent legislator Saleng Sangma, the minister replied that there was no package for people living along the river from the Water Resources department.