MAWKYRWAT: The South West Khasi Hills district magistrate on imposed Section 144 on Wednesday prohibiting killing of fishes in rivers and streams in the district.
District Magistrate Isawanda Laloo imposed prohibitions after reports that there was rampant killing of fishes in rivers and streams using explosives and poisonous chemicals.
She also requested all traditional heads in the district to immediately inform the administration if they notice any violation of the order.
Meanwhile, the district unit of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), which has supported the demand for an independent inquiry into the death of fishes and change of colour of the Kynshi river, said it does not trust the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB).
“Therefore we fully support the KSU Ranikor Circle (in demanding for an independent probe),” KSU South West Khasi Hills President Forwardman Nongrem said.
Nongrem recollected that last year when the river changed colour and fishes died, MSPCB officials collected water samples from the Rilang river instead of the Kynshi. “Even if MSPCB conducted new test, we cannot trust them because we know that the result will be the same,” he added as he pressed for an independent inquiry.
“We are not saying the cause of the death of fishes was drilling of uranium in the nearby places but we have seen that the uranium drilling holes at Porkut were about 100-200 meters from the river, but the coal mining places were about 1 km from the river,” the KSU district president said.
