SHILLONG: A joint committee comprising of the KHADC, KSU Mawlai Circle and private companies have impressed on the need to carry out tree plantation to prevent pollution of the Umshing and Umiam rivers.
The committee has taken this decision to go for tree plantation to check unabated pollution caused by various private companies and individuals along the two rivers following a joint inspection conducted in December last year.
“We have arrived at an agreement that the best possible option to prevent soil erosion is through plantation of trees,” KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum, who is the chairman of the joint committee, told newsmen after the committee meeting on Tuesday.
According to him, the inquiry conducted by the committee had found out that the pollution of the two rivers is due to earthwork along the stretch of the land belonging to Doris Pyngrope and also the land given to the YFC Company by Honsen Lyngdoh where the crusher is the main cause of pollution on the river.
“Besides the tree plantation, we have also asked the individual owners to construct retaining walls to prevent loose soil from flowing directly into the rivers,” he said
KSU Mawlai Circle general secretary Rapbor Lang Nongrum said that after the inspection, they found that the proprietors of Ford and Toyota showrooms have started maintaining the flow of soil to the river by planting trees.
He, however, informed that the proprietor of Mahindra showroom has not yet done anything but have agreed to start the plantation soon.
Nongrum also said the YFC Company has assured to remove the crusher machine from near the river and will also remove the pipes so that the river water can flow easily.
He further informed that a decision has also been taken to constitute a new committee to look into the progress on this matter. The new committee will be called the monitoring committee on Umshing and Umiam Rivers, he added.
