Umkrah river continues to languish

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, June 17: Clean Wah Umkrah project undertaken by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to clean the River Umkhrah appears to be a flawed initiative. It was in June, 2012, that the Congress-led Khasi Hills United Democratic Alliance (KHUDA) laid a foundation stone for the project to clean the river Umkhrah that runs through the heart of Shillong city.

The then Chief Executive Member of KHADC, Pynshngain N Syiem, laid the foundation stone to mark the cleansing process spending an amount of Rs One crore. But, till date nothing has fructified. The Sentinel toured the shores of the river only to find out that not a bit of orientation was carried out to ensure the safety of the river.

“There is nothing monetarily nor academically that has reached us,” stated a local resident, whose house is located just in the fringes of the river.

Meanwhile, when The Sentinel approached the CEM of the KHADC, he said, “We were not in a position to clarify our stand, since we were out of power after taking that move”.

When asked specifically on whether the foundation stone with his me being imprinted is history, Syiem said, “I have just taken over as the CEM and the follow up actions will be ensured.”