Expert panel preparing action plan to restore water bodies

SHILLONG, Oct 13: The expert committee for the protection and restoration of water bodies in the state is in the process of formulating the action plan for the restoration of the polluted water bodies.
It has given ten days’ time to the districts which submitted distorted figures about water bodies, committee spokesperson Naba Bhattacharjee disclosed on Thursday.
According to him, a list was prepared by the respective district administrations before the committee was constituted, identifying 10,201 water bodies across the state.
After the committee was formed, the districts were asked to submit a new list as per the new format, barring the 53 wetlands and seven rivers which are under the State Wetland Authority (SWA) and the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) respectively. Umkhrah, Umshyrpi, Kyrhokhla, Nongbah, Umtrew, Lukha and Myntdu are the seven rivers.
The RRC was constituted on January 24, 2019 in line with the order of the National Green Tribunal for the preparation of the action plan for these rivers.
According to the new instructions, fish ponds have been excluded ) as these have their own intrinsic issues and protection measures, Bhattacharjee said.
It was learnt some districts, which shared details on water bodies, included fish ponds, resulting in distorted figures. They have been given ten days to submit information as per the required format and excluding the fish ponds.
According to information provided by some districts, 24 water bodies have been identified in North Garo Hills, 12 each in West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills, 26 in East Garo Hills and nine in East Jaintia Hills.
The expert committee was formed on June 23 this year in deference to an order of the High Court of Meghalaya. The court issued the order based on a PIL of 2019 regarding the cleanliness of Umiam Lake.
The committee is mandated to advise the state government on measures to be taken for the restoration and protection of water bodies, which involves drawing out long-term and short-term measures for the restoration of water bodies. By an order on February 23 this year, the High Court had extended the scope to all water bodies in the state.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests BK Lyngwa said, “We are in the process of formulating the action plan and of course, the question of funding will come later on. It will be identified on a need basis, as and when the situation demands.”
He said the action plan will be site-specific to every river and will cover the entire state except those water bodies in the wildlife protected areas, reserved forests and water bodies dealt with by the SWA and the RRC besides the fish ponds.
Lyngwa further said the action plan will be divided into four categories – advisory, regulatory, participatory and restoratory – and studies will be conducted in rainy and dry seasons.