By HH Mohrmen
Without any doubt the Umngot is one of the cleanest rivers and it has attracted visitors from far and wide. The condition of the river has even compelled people who have seen the river with their own eyes to call it the cleanest river in the country. The crystal clear waters of river Umngot is the pride of not only the villages situated on the banks of the river but the state as a whole. In the state where coal mining and cement plants has polluted many rivers and still many other rivers have become a waste dumping ravine, having a river like Umngot is a soul fulfilling experience. The question that begs the answer is why is Umngot able to retain its crystal-clear form?
The river with a difference
In its (perhaps) not less than ten mile journey from the place of origin till it exits India at Dawki on the Indo-Bangladesh border, the waters of the Umngot remain crystal clear. Throughout its journey in the hills between the canyons and gorges that divides Jañtia with the Khasi hills; the cascading river retains its elixir quality. But have we ever questioned how the Umngot’s waters remain crystal clear despite flowing many miles in its journey to the plains? When other rivers are polluted due to acid mine drainage which flows from the coal mines or those near human settlements were filled with garbage because of human recklessness, the Umngot stands out as a river with a difference.
Umngot is akin to Wordsworth idealistic Lucy
It is rather fortunate that the course of the river is so different that it runs through hills and valleys mostly canyons which divide Khasi and Jañtia hills. The terrains through which the river flows is steep hence it also makes it unfit for human habitation. The difficult terrain that it runs through is also the reason that it is the only river which does not have human settlements on its banks. From the place of origin of the river until a few kilometers before it crosses the border, there are only three villages close to the river. Shnongpdeng, Darrang and Dawki are the three villages on the banks of the river in the West Jañtia hills. Like the idealistic Lucy who lives in solitude all by herself in William Wordsworth’s poem, the river Umngot too flows in isolation. Umngot flows through the untrodden paths where only few dare to tread and that is one reason why the river remains crystal clear all through its course.
Umngot and its Tributaries
By hill regions standards Umngot is one big river and for a river to become so big, it must definitely have streams which brings more water to the river. In fact, it is not just Umngot that is free from pollution; the river remains clean because its tributaries are also clean. The tributaries which flow from both the East Khasi and West Jañtia hills do not bring any human waste to the river and that makes the river clean throughout. Umngot is indeed one unique river and there are many elements which contribute towards making the river’s water crystal clear.
Umngot a source
of livelihood
The river not only serves as the natural border of the two districts of the state, but it has been a source of livelihood for the people who live near it. Since time immemorial, the river provides water to the rice valleys throughout its course on both sides of the divide. The forest which is now being replaced by bamboo plantations in certain areas has served as a catchment for the river. Broomgrass which is now a new cash crop for the people has no doubt depleted the forest on the banks of the river and it is something that one needs to worry about. If the water level of the river is to continue to remain the same, the Government needs to address this very important ecological issue in the region.
Protest against the proposed hydro-electric project
The government’s plans to construct a run-of-the-river hydro-electric project on the Umngot river was opposed by the people of the area. What the pro-dam group failed to comprehend is the unique relationship that the river has with the people who depend on it for their sustenance. The project will not only cover large tracks of land which include paddy fields, but the irreparable damage and impact it is going to have on the pristine and crystal clear quality of the water in the river will be phenomenal. This will certainly happen if and when the construction of the project begins.
The tourism project will be affected
For people living in the three villages of Dawki, Darrang and Shnongpdeng, tourism has been their mainstay now. Even Amkoi village upstream of Shnongpdeng which has glacier-like rocks has attracted a lot of tourists until before the lockdown due to COVID -19. The whitish gigantic rock with unusual shapes and formation has attracted trekkers in spite of the long and treacherous path they have to walk to reach the place. The one common unique selling point all these spots share is that the Umngot flows through these areas. These spots are popular because of one reason only and that is the crystal-clear waters. Had the government proceeded with its plans to construct the project upstream of these spots, then without a doubt the water of the river will change and become turbid and that will also be the end of the tourist spots.
Tourist spots even on its tributaries
Because of the kind of water the tributaries of Umngot have, some of the villages located on the banks of this stream also benefit from tourism. Kudeng rim with its waterfalls and root bridges and now a double-decker bridge under construction has also attracted a lot of visitors to the area. Other villages which have streams which flow to Umngot like Padu and Nongbareh and even Samanong, Sohmynting and Moosakhia on the upstream are yet to exploit the tourist potential of the rivers in their areas which are tributaries of Umngot.
Safeguarding the crystal- clear waters of Umngot
The question is how will we ensure that the water of the river Umngot remains crystal clear? Surely the quality of the water in the river will not remain so, if there are no efforts to ensure that it is not affected by human activities. Surely the government would not want Umngot to meet the same fate like the river Kupli, Lukha and Myntdu which are polluted to such an extent that no aquatic life is found in these rivers. Myntdu in Jowai is under threat from adverse human activities and Wah Umkhrah which has always been in the news for the wrong reasons are the representations of how humans treat or ill-treat their rivers. Fortunately there are ways to prevent Umngot from succumbing to the same fate that the other rivers in Jañtia hills had experienced.
PES may help
Umngot is the pride of the state. The clear waters which people can see through many meters down to the river bed is the distinctive aspect of the river. Taking a photograph of one riding a boat on crystal-clear waters of the river is the ultimate dream of many. Umngot is one of the few major rivers in the state which still enjoys the status of a clean river. The reason is because the catchment areas of the rivers are still intact. The catchment areas on both sides of the river also still have forest cover. The forest comprises sacred forests, community or clan forests like in the case of Sohmynting, Moosakhia and Samanong and the community can be paid for ecological services that they provide by maintaining these forests. Implementing pay for ecological services can be the way for the government to protect river Umngot. Umngot is the natural heritage of the State and it is the responsibility of the state and the government to protect and preserve it.
In one fell swoop Umngot can go the Myntdu, Lukha and Kupli way if coal mining is allowed in the area. To prevent Umngot from meeting the same fate the Government also needs to immediately stop the dumping of coal along the Jowai Amlarem-Dawki road from Mustem to Jarain.
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