SHILLONG, June 30: The Lukha river in East Jaintia Hills has been a lifeline for many. But of late, it has been reportedly plagued by ‘acid mine drainage’, which results in the river turning bluish.
Concerned over this, the Forest and Environment department has decided to initiate active steps to look into a long-term solution for the restoration of the Lukha, a statement issued here on Wednesday informed.
“We have been in regular consultation with experts from the United States and from Israel who have been researching biotechnologies for water restoration. We have currently deployed phytoremediation on a pilot experiment basis,” the statement revealed.
Phytoremediation looks at utilisation of algae for the removal of toxic contents from water.
“As of now, the pilot experiment has shown encouraging results, with efficiency levels beyond our expectations. We will look to scale this up in the coming days. We also plan to implement phytoremediation for other rivers, where issues range from high acidity to high alkalinity,” the statement added.
It stated that the department is in the process of receiving consultation from experts, following which it has plans to deploy more of such measures in the coming days to maintain the natural beauty of the state.
Making a fervent appeal to stakeholders and community groups, it urged them to come forward and provide assistance in the initiative. “We believe in mutual cooperation,” it maintained.
Talking about the industrial lot contributing to the degradation of the river, the department said that “it is a need of the hour to strike a balance between economic activities and maintaining the environment”.
“We request the industries to follow all norms and guidelines. Climate change is real and the urgency of a solution is being repeatedly cited by apex international bodies such as the United Nations,” it said.
It was also informed that the department will request the state and the central governments to change the name of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
“The issue of climate change has to be dealt with in an urgent manner and we think there is no time remaining for us to wait anymore,” the statement added.
