NONGPOH: In a twist to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Meghalaya Agrovet Pvt. Ltd, a poultry farm fiasco, the umbrella of Rangbah Shnong, MDC and NGOs along with the local populace have decided to adopt a wait and watch policy before taking any resolution on allowing the farm to resume its operation at Mawthei village (Plot 2) under Mawhati constituency in Ri Bhoi District.
The decision was taken at a public hearing organized by the company on its premises on Wednesday.
The problem arose when a team of NGOs and Rangbah Shnong of different village of the area conducted an inspection of the poultry farm in July and found that waste discharge from the farm was polluting the Umiam river, which is the main source of drinking water for 14 village in Umsning area.
Strong opposition was raised against the operation of the poultry farm, owned by one Bhalang Phanbuh, after the discovery that the Umiam river was being contaminated by waste products discharged from the farm. The farm was put under lock and key on July 22 by the villagers and local headmen of Umsning under the banner of Umtew River Protection Committee in the presence of local MDCs of Mawhati and Umsning.
Wednesday’s hearing was attended by Mawhati MDC James Sylliang, PHE SDO, Umsning Sub Division, P.S. Lyngdoh, Pollution Board Engineer W.R. Kharkrang, Umsning Town Durbar Committee Chairman Rocky Kylla, Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong Lum Manik Raitong Area president and Thad village Headman C. Shadap, headmen of affected villages, Ri Bhoi based NGOs comprising CORP, HNYF, HNM, HNPM, NKU along with the local residents of Mawthei.
During the hearing, the owner of the farm enlightened the gathering on the efforts taken to rectify their flaws, and also informed that a Biogas Treatment plant had been set up at the farm to prevent discharge of any waste into the water bodies.
He also informed that the company will erect retaining wall to prevent outflow of filth into the Umiam river.
The Mawhati MDC said that the farm had been allowed to resume its operation so that the offciails of the farm would take steps to clean up the wastes and also to implement preventive measure for preventing further outflow of wastes from the farm into the river.
Officials of the PHE and the Pollution Control Board, however, informed that after receipt of complaints they acted promptly and conducted a test of the water taken from the Umiam river and found that the water was unfit for human consumption as it had been contaminated by wastes from the farm.
They also informed that the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner had constituted a Special Committee to rectify the lapses of Meghalaya Agrovet Pvt. Ltd., following which the farm owners had installed the biogas treatment plant and also sow pit.
They also informed that the company had been advised to construct retaining wall along its premises and undertake tree plantation to control the outflow of waste product into the river.