SHILLONG: Despite the claim of the Meghalaya Agrovet engaging in poultry farming in Ri Bhoi that it had tied up Bethany Society to ensure safety methods, the RTI field by a concerned individual said that the Bethany Society had no formal tie up with Meghalaya Agrovet which had come under scanner for pollution of the surroundings.
Earlier, following the reports of pollution by Agrovet, inspecting officials from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) and the KHADC had visited the units of Meghalaya Agrovet and the reports submitted by S.S Syiem Assistant Environment Engineer of MSPCB and A.S Lanong, Assistant Superintendent Enforcement Wing of KHADC had stated as per the statement given by Bhalang Singh Phanbuh, Director Agrovet that there was a tie up between the Bethany Society and Meghalaya Agrovet for litter waste management for cleaning the waste due to pollution from the sheds to a hill lock nearby.
However, the RTI findings revealed that there was no formal tie up with Bethany Society.
Further, RTI revealed that Phanbuh had submitted a list of names of contractors to KHADC including that of the Headman of Khlieh Umtrew, D.L Nonglait indicating that the headman received contract works from Meghalaya Agrovet and also some members from the Ri-Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF). “This has raised many eyebrows”, sources said.
Supported by the Meghalaya Poultry Farmers Welfare Association (MPFWA), various headmen of the affected villages and various NGOs had submitted a petition to the Chief Executive Member of KHADC, P.N.Syiem to conduct an investigation into the benami angle between Phanbuh and Meghalaya Agrovet with Amrit Group and also to look into the documents of Meghalaya Agrovet submitted to KHADC.
Earlier, the report on spot inspection on the unit of Meghalaya Agrovet by the Extra Assistant Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi district on May 26 and water testing conducted by the office of the PHE, Umsning had clearly stated ” from bacteriological perspective, the water is unfit for human consumption”, and that Meghalaya Agrovet had released the faeces of chickens detrimental to human health and the wastes were flowing into the Umtrew river which is the main source of drinking water for almost 20 villages under the Raid Mawbuh Mylliem Syiemship.
Due to this, the unit was shut down by the people on July 22 in the presence of MDC, Don Sumer and the present Executive, M Trade James Sylliang.
The diseases that can be contracted from such large scale poultry farm and spread to human settlement are salmonella, asthma, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhoea, general weakness, fever, body rashes, and gastric among others.
As per reports, factory poultry manure contains heavy metals like manganese, zinc, iron, copper, and arsenic. Arsenic is a known carcinogenic agent that when inhaled can cause cancer in humans, particularly lung cancer.
If the high levels of nitrate found in chicken litter come into contact with groundwater which is used as drinking water it can cause methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder in infants.
As per the recent reports, some of the litter waste is still flowing into the drinking water sources from one of Meghalaya Agrovet units at Khlieh Umtrew.
