Panel to look into river pollution

SHILLONG, July 5: The state government has constituted a joint committee of the Central Pollution Control Board and Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board to look into reports of alleged release of untreated sewage into the Umshyrpi river near Shillong Law College and the Umkhrah river at Demthring and also release of effluents into the Lukha river in East Jaintia Hills and take necessary action in accordance with the law.
The committee was constituted in pursuance of an order issued by the National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench), New Delhi, on April 28, 2022 following a news item published by The Shillong Times on February 21, 2022 with the heading: “Poison Flowing in Shillong’s Rivers: Water Quality Index”.
As per the notification, the member secretary of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board is the chairman of the committee while the regional director of Central Pollution Control Board, Shillong and senior environmental engineer in-charge of solid waste management) are the members of the committee. The senior scientist in-charge of water is the member convener.
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board will be the nodal agency for compliance while the committee will look into the alleged violations and take further action in accordance with law, the notification said.
The committee will be free to interact with concerned authorities and stakeholders and may also consider the action plan prepared by the River Rejuvenation Committee for rejuvenation of Umkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers and take further action in accordance with the law.
The committee will have to submit an action taken report to the NGT within two months by e-mail, the notification added.