Prodded by court, Meghalaya begins process to save its water bodies

GUWAHATI: The Meghalaya government is making an effort to protect and restore the water bodies across the state.

An expert committee, constituted by the state government in deference to an order of the High Court of Meghalaya, is preparing an action plan to fight the man-made problem that assumes an alarming proportion.

The water bodies got polluted over a period of time due to various factors, including unscientific mining of coal and limestone, stone quarrying and commercial, industrial and domestic waste.

The 10-member committee, headed by the state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests BK Lyngwa, will submit its report to the state government for necessary actions.

Lyngwa said the committee was in the process of formulating the action plan which would cover all water bodies except fish ponds and those in the wildlife protected areas, reserved forests and others looked after by the State Wetland Authority and the River Rejuvenation Committee. The expert committee will conduct studies in rainy and dry seasons, he said.

ALSO READ | TN to train Meghalaya’s medical professionals

The High Court had issued the order on the restoration of the water bodies in connection with a PIL filed on the cleanliness of Umiam Lake. Subsequently, the government constituted the committee.

After conducting the studies, the committee will work out long-term as well as short-term measures and share the same with the government for the restoration of the water bodies, Lyngwa said.

Earlier, all districts were asked to submit a list of water bodies – except 53 wetlands and seven rivers which are dealt with by different authorities – within their respective jurisdictions.

After some districts submitted "distorted" figures, the committee asked them to submit a new list.

Naba Bhattacharjee, who is the spokesperson of the committee, told journalists recently the fish ponds had been excluded from the purview of the exercise as they have their intrinsic issues and protection measures.

GUWAHATI: The Meghalaya government is making an effort to protect and restore the water bodies across the state. An expert committee, constituted by the state government in deference to an order of the High Court of Meghalaya, is preparing an action plan to fight the man-made problem that assumes an alarming proportion. The water bodies got polluted over a period of time due to various factors, including unscientific mining of coal and limestone, stone quarrying and commercial, industrial and domestic waste. The 10-member committee, headed by the state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests BK Lyngwa, will submit its report to the state government for necessary actions. Lyngwa said the committee was in the process of formulating the action plan which would cover all water bodies except fish ponds and those in the wildlife protected areas, reserved forests and others looked after by the State Wetland Authority and the River Rejuvenation Committee. The expert committee will conduct studies in rainy and dry seasons, he said. ALSO READ | TN to train Meghalaya’s medical professionals The High Court had issued the order on the restoration of the water bodies in connection with a PIL filed on the cleanliness of Umiam Lake. Subsequently, the government constituted the committee. After conducting the studies, the committee will work out long-term as well as short-term measures and share the same with the government for the restoration of the water bodies, Lyngwa said. Earlier, all districts were asked to submit a list of water bodies – except 53 wetlands and seven rivers which are dealt with by different authorities – within their respective jurisdictions. After some districts submitted "distorted" figures, the committee asked them to submit a new list. Naba Bhattacharjee, who is the spokesperson of the committee, told journalists recently the fish ponds had been excluded from the purview of the exercise as they have their intrinsic issues and protection measures.