SHILLONG, June 13: The state government, in compliance with the High Court of Meghalaya order dated June 3, 2022 (in the matter of PIL No 10/2019), constituted an expert committee on June 23 last year to draw up measures to be taken for restoration and preservation water bodies in the state.
Besides central and state pollution board officials and a civil engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, the committee included experts like environment safeguard specialist, river and lake conservationists, architects, urban town planners, civil engineers, aquatic life conservationists, and technical resources from all the three autonomous district councils.
The committee is headed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF, as the member secretary and Naba Bhattacharjee, chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee as environment safeguard specialist.
The committee after several meetings and field visits has drawn up a comprehensive report which was submitted recently to the government.
The report basically comprises of two main parts — guidelines for preservation of water bodies and formulation of norms for future construction activities in and around water bodies in the state.
As regards construction activities, a sub-committee was constituted with members of the main committee and few non official domain experts like architects and planners Aiban Mawkhroh & Rimeka Ranee, aquatic life and river conservationists Zorba Laloo, Bashida Massar, Dawaki Rangad, tourism sector expert Larsing Sawyan, in addition to town and urban planners of MUDA, Urban Affairs Department, and the three autonomous district councils.
On the guidelines for preservation of water bodies, the committee, besides making site visits, also held several rounds of wide-ranging discussion with experts and stakeholders, settled for over a century, in and around water bodies like Umiam etc, to obtain their inputs and suggestions.
The salient feature of the guidelines covers present status of management of water bodies, factors responsible for threats to water bodies etc., including measures and course of action to be undertaken for restoration and conservation in line with Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, river rejuvenation action plan etc, specific measures for preservation of water bodies, guiding principle of tourism ventures in and around water bodies, the dos and don’ts around water bodies, monitoring mechanism etc.
The committee has identified 338 water bodies in the state based on information provided by the deputy commissioners of all districts, adopting process of exclusion and inclusion to avoid duplicity of actions.
Around 9,000 fish ponds all over the state have been excluded from the category of water bodies.
The comprehensive report on guidelines for building around water bodies highlights prescriptions and norms for construction activity formulated by the sub-committee.
Although fundamentals of the recommendation are based on the MUDA Building Bylaws, there are specific parameters prescribed from the stand point of water bodies’ protection.
These broadly include maintaining a buffer zone of fixed distance from the high flood level of a water body, limited activities permitted within such zone, construction activities permitted beyond such zone with parameters different from normal bylaws, including introduction of zones like prohibited, restricted, regulated etc.
Moreover the plot utilisation, maximum floor area ratio, maximum height of buildings etc., shall be different and distinct from normal bylaws for areas around water bodies.
Within the buffer zone between water bodies and land no permanent structure shall be permitted. Plantations, parks, rain shelter, playgrounds, temporary/semi permanent structures for water sports, ticket counters etc., will only be permitted. Toilets, septic tanks etc., will also not be permitted in this zone to maintain zero discharge into water bodies.
Asked for his comment on the report, Bhattacharjee said the report has been submitted to the government for further necessary action on the matter and the detail figures, technical specifications etc., will be put in the public domain once approved by the government and accepted by the high court. He added that till his superannuation in February this year, former PCCF & HOFF and Chairman of the committee BK Lyngwa was the driving force in providing direction to the committee and both of them together initiated the idea of involving local residents and resource persons in every stage of the entire exercise that was completed in record time.