Mawphlang JNV closed down
SHILLONG: The Assembly Committee on Environment has directed the State Pollution Control Board to conduct inspection of hospitals within 15 days and submit a report on the status of effluent treatment plants after which it would carry out its own inspection.
The Committee on Wednesday also ordered the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mawphlang to close down immediately until its sewerage treatment plant is made functional.
Talking to media persons here on Wednesday after the meeting of the Committee, its Chairman SK Sunn lamented the absence of incinerators to treat organic waste in the state’s hospitals barring NEIGRIHMS and their failure to commission effluent treatment plants.
He, however, said that eight out of the 12 hospitals in the state would commission their effluent treatment plants within 15 days.
He was particularly annoyed that even the incinerator at the marten looked after by the Shillong Municipal Board is not functional for the past one year.
“The government has prepared a DPR and is in the process of getting sanction from the Ministry of Environment and Forest for installation of a plant for treating organic waste,” Sunn said.
He said the Committee was very disappointed with the State Pollution Control Board and Health department as they were not able to give any satisfactory reply regarding management of biological and organic waste.
The Committee, which also reviewed the functioning of the State Pollution Control Board, has also taken exception to its inability to look into smoke emission by trucks and buses in the city.
“We took a strong view on the failure of the Board and the Transport department in containing emission which leads to air pollution, ” member of the Committee , HM Shangpliang, said.
The Committee has also given 15 days to the State Pollution Control Board to come out with a report on how many cases of smoke emission have been penalised and how many stations have been set up to ensure that there is no pollution.
The Committee also said that they are going to inspect different industrial parks in the state located at Byrnihat, Umiam and even in East Jaintia Hills.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Wednesday ordered the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mawphlang to close down immediately until its sewerage treatment plant is made functional.
The Committee, which visited the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme on Tuesday, witnessed the discharge of untreated sewerage from JNV flowing directly into a small stream which leads to the dam.
“We have asked JNV to close down until their sewerage treatment plant is made functional,” Shangpliang said.
The authorities of the school were summoned by the Committee during its meeting held here on Wednesday.
Earlier, Sunn had said that the committee cannot close down the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme but they can close down the school.
He said that the Committee has give time to make the plant functional and have told the school that until the sewerage treatment plant is made functional, they would have to continue giving holiday to the schoolchildren.