Rains delay alternative road plan at Umiam

SHILLONG, July 29: The consultants engaged by the state government for the construction of an alternative approach road downstream of the main Umiam dam will resume work after the rainy season.
“We decided to have the alternative road downstream of the dam. The consultants engaged for it will come back after the rains,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who also handles PWD, said.
The state government had tasked the consultants with carrying out an inspection of sites both upstream and downstream of the Umiam dam and soil testing to determine the feasibility of the site for the alternative approach road.
Earlier, the High Court of Meghalaya had asked the state government to make every endeavour to ensure that the replacement of the Umiam bridge is planned and the work commenced without waiting for the existing bridge to collapse.
The court had said it was heartening that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) agreed the Umiam bridge should be replaced by a more robust structure so it can withstand regular traffic.
An affidavit was filed on behalf of the BRO for not allowing vehicles carrying more than 10 metric tonnes of load to use the bridge. The affidavit made the court apprehensive about the strength of the bridge and asked the state to take appropriate action.
The state had told the court that steps have been taken to invite tenders for bolstering the existing bridge or for carrying out supporting construction which would ensure its longevity.
The opposition Trinamool Congress has also been expressing concern within and outside the Assembly over the present condition of the Umiam bridge, cautioning that a hairline crack on the bridge might have catastrophic consequences.
In 2019, Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited said the life span of (Contd on P-4)
Rains delay alternative road plan…
(Contd from P-1) Umiam dam has been reduced by 41 years due to heavy siltation and pollution.
According to the corporation, the Umiam dam may last till 2024 instead of 2065 as thought earlier.
Tynsong affirms stand against uranium mining
Speaking on the contentious uranium mining issue, Tynsong said the state government is against uranium mining unless the landowners are willing.
He also referred to the Supreme Court’s 2019 observation that the people in Meghalaya own the resources on the surface and underground.
“The government’s stand on uranium mining is very clear. And in 2019, the Supreme Court reconfirmed the people’s ownership of whatever is on the surface and beneath,” he said.
Tynsong was reacting to DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the Centre has not abandoned the idea of mining uranium from the Domiasiat-Mawthabah area in South West Khasi Hills.
Pointing out that coal, gas, petroleum and uranium were all nationalised resources earlier, he said the Supreme Court’s ruling gave the ownership to the people.
The West Khasi Hills unit of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has reiterated its opposition to uranium mining in the district and warned any agency or the government against initiating any activity in the area.
The South West Khasi Hills unit of the Federation of the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) also warned the government against going ahead with uranium mining.
“Our stance against uranium mining has not changed and we will continue to oppose it in the future. We are ready to fight if the government goes ahead with the proposed project forcefully,” the unit’s working president Kenes Nonglait said in a statement on Friday.