From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, Feb 28: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), has directed the Meghalaya government, through the Chief Secretary, to file a response regarding the dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated during the construction of the Jowai Bypass which has caused siltation in the Myntdu River.
The joint committee found that Jowai town lacked an authorised dump site, collection centre, or processing facility for C&D waste, as required under the C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016. During the site visit, it was also noted that no inventory or records were maintained for the C&D waste generated from the project.
Additionally, no waste management plan or the necessary approvals from the local authority, as mandated by the C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016, were provided. The Joint Committee formed by the NGT had flagged that municipal solid waste (MSW) from nearby areas of Jowai town was being indiscriminately dumped into the valley along the Jowai-Dawki road.
This improper disposal underscores serious deficiencies in the collection, storage, and transportation of MSW by the local municipal authorities, it said. The Committee also noted the absence of a solid waste processing facility in the town.
NGT had formed a joint committee to investigate the matter and submit a report. The CPCB filed the committee’s report on Tuesday stating that along the entire stretch of the Jowai Bypass, excavated earth, including soil and stones, had been dumped down the valley.
An applicant, through a letter petition, raised concerns about the dumping of muck generated during road construction, which has damaged the river ecology, affecting aquatic life, flora, and fauna. Only a few months ago the District Magistrate of West Jaintia Hill amended a prohibitory order passed in June to protect the Myntdu River and its tributaries from pollution, mining and quarrying.
The DM noted that the quality of water in the Myntdu River and its tributaries which are the lifeline of Jowai have been severely affected and become muddy due to erosion and depositing of debris in the river’s catchment areas. In this case, other concerned authorities, including the district magistrate of Jowai and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), were also instructed to submit their responses.