By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 17: The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has asked the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) to waive of the Rs 15 lakh penalty imposed on the corporation for allegedly polluting the Umngot River.
A source informed that the NHIDCL has shot off a petition to the Pollution Control Board, clarifying their stand on the matter.
The source said once the concerns were raised, the NHIDCL immediately initiated an investigation to verify the claims, focusing on potential pollution and turbidity caused by construction activities.
A series of three joint inspections were conducted in October and November involving MSPCB, NHIDCL engineer, and contractors of the Shillong-Dawki Road project to assess the alleged environmental impact.
During the site inspections, the team conducted thorough checks across all construction zones, particularly those near the Umngot River and its tributaries. The inspections confirmed that no direct pollution, siltation, or improper disposal of construction waste into the river was observed within the project’s area of influence.
“The location mentioned in the complaint, identified as Shnongpdeng Village, was verified to be outside the construction zone of NHIDCL and is not within the project’s jurisdiction, thereby ruling out any responsibility for pollution at this site,” the NHIDCL said in its letter to MSPCB.
Additionally, Shnongpdeng is situated upstream from the Dawki Boating Point, where the major bridge is under construction, and considering the natural flow of the river and the topographical elevation difference between the sites, it is impossible that the turbidity reported at Shnongpdeng originated from NHIDCL’s activities at Dawki.
“Based on the findings of the inspection and input from local residents, the turbidity is likely a result of activities at the Wah Umsong River near Laitlyngkot, far from the construction area and unrelated to NHIDCL’s work,” the letter said.
Following the inspections, another review was conducted on November 3 along the Shillong-Dawki PKG-Il section. During this inspection, minor turbidity was observed at Km 25+260 (Laitlyngkot), caused by sand washing activities by the contractor. However, the activity was immediately halted upon the instructions of the inspection team. Further significant turbidity was observed at Km 25+960 (Laitkynsew Village) and Km 32+600 (Mawkajem Massar), which was attributed to local mining activities, not related to NHIDCL. “This reinforces the conclusion that the reported pollution was caused by external, non-project-related activities,” the NHIDCL said.
In response to the directives issued by the MSPCB, NHIDCL said it immediately instructed its contractors to implement corrective actions and comply with environmental safeguards.
Contractors provided detailed action taken reports outlining the steps being taken, such as suspending sand washing activities and stabilising affected areas to prevent further environmental harm.
All measures taken were in strict adherence to the approved Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and in compliance with MSPCB’s guidelines to ensure that no further ecological disturbances occurred due to the construction activities, the NHIDCL letter stated.
It is also learnt that M/S ASC Infratech Pvt. Ltd., the EPC contractor for Package-V, reported on 04.11.2025 that during construction of the approach road to the major bridge across the Umngot River (Km 63+530 to Km 71+520), minor debris had slid towards the river due to steep slopes and challenging terrain and immediate mitigation works were undertaken to rectify the situation, including debris removal, slope stabilisation, and river protection measures.
The contractor also deployed dedicated personnel on-site to regularly monitor the situation and ensure the safety and stability of the river protection works, which are expected to be completed at the earliest.
Following the imposition of a penalty of Rs 15 lakh, the NHIDCL submitted that the alleged pollution at four identified locations was thoroughly reviewed, and based on joint site inspections, field observations, and the explanations of contractor, it is clear that these instances were not caused by NHIDCL’s activities.
“A comprehensive examination of the four identified locations indicates that none of the sites affected watercourses or natural streams,” the NHIDCL said.
“Based on joint inspections, field observations, and thorough documentation, we conclude that the construction activities undertaken by NHIDCL have not caused any environmental pollution or degradation of water bodies along the project corridor. The temporary management of debris and earthwork at various sites was essential for the safe and efficient completion of the road project,” the letter said while asking MSPCB to reconsider the penalty.
