MSPCB flags high contamination in at least 7 major rivers in M’laya
SHILLONG, July 15: Despite repeated assurances, public orders, and government declarations, Meghalaya’s rivers continue to suffer from unchecked pollution, mismanagement, and neglect.
From sewage-laden urban stretches to rivers choked by industrial and mining waste, the degradation of water bodies across the state reflects a systemic failure to enforce environmental laws and follow through on policy commitments.
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), through its water quality monitoring network, has confirmed high levels of contamination in at least seven major rivers. These include the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi in East Khasi Hills, Kyrhukhla and Lunar in East Jaintia Hills, the Umtrew in Ri-Bhoi, the Myntdu in West Jaintia Hills, and the Nonbah in West Khasi Hills.
Among these, the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi in Shillong stand as the most visible examples of this crisis. Long treated as convenient dumping channels for sewage and garbage, these rivers have become symbols of urban environmental neglect.
Solid waste, domestic effluents, construction debris, and plastic materials flow freely into their waters daily. Encroachments have further suffocated riverbanks, leaving no buffer between pollution sources and the water itself.
Although East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RK Kurbah issued prohibitory orders banning illegal discharge into these rivers, their condition remains unchanged. Inspections have been rare, enforcement has been patchy, and the pollution has been continuous.
A walk along the Umshyrpi and Wahumkhrah rivers paints a stark picture. Raw sewage continues to flow into the rivers from households, drains, and nearby settlements. Garbage lies unattended.
Despite the official ban, enforcement is either too weak or absent. The orders exist, but their impact appears to be limited to paper.
Yet, amid this decline, the government has put forward grand plans. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma recently announced an ambitious proposal to transform the Wahumkhrah riverfront into a tourist attraction. While the vision promises beautification, improved access, and riverfront development, serious questions remain about its feasibility.
The most pressing obstacle is the legal tangle surrounding encroachments along the river. Ongoing litigation involving multiple parties has stalled key portions of the riverbank, leaving large stretches legally inaccessible. Until these encroachment disputes are resolved, the proposed transformation appears more aspirational than actionable.
Moreover, even if legal hurdles were to be cleared, the core issue remains: How can a riverfront be developed as a tourist space when the river itself remains a channel for untreated sewage and waste? Without a fundamental clean-up, strong enforcement, and infrastructure for sewage treatment and waste management, cosmetic upgrades alone will not revive these dying rivers.
Elsewhere in the state, the picture is equally bleak. The Myntdu River in Jowai, once a key water source, has seen its quality decline steadily due to household waste and effluent discharge. In East Jaintia Hills, the Lunar River, a tributary to the infamous Lukha, now shows high levels of contamination, echoing the chemical discolouration seen in the Lukha itself, attributed by many to coal mining run-off.
The Umtrew River in Ri-Bhoi, flowing through the state’s industrial belt, is increasingly threatened by chemical discharge. The Nonbah and Kyrhukhla rivers, both passing through mining-dense areas, face degradation from unregulated dumping and runoff.
Repeated environmental pledges, including those made on occasions like World Environment Day, have done little to arrest this slow-motion disaster. The rivers continue to die, some visibly, others beneath the surface.
The government continues to issue orders. The public continues to pollute. And somewhere between declarations and reality, Meghalaya’s rivers are being sacrificed day after day, drop by drop. Unless urgent, uncompromising action is taken on enforcement, infrastructure, and legal clarity, no promise, however grand, will be enough to reverse the damage already done.