Assembly Committee on Environment Points Out Myriad Concerns

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Assembly Committee on Environment (CoE) has closed down the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Mawphlang for the non-functioning of the sewage treatment plant.

“Unless the sewage treatment plant is made functional, the school can continue to give the students holiday,” chairman of the CoE and Mawphlang MLA SK Sunn said. Presently, the school is on vacation.

It may be mentioned that the Assembly Committee during a visit to the site on Tuesday, found out that sewage from the school was flowing into the river that feeds the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme.

On the other hand, the CoE on Wednesday pulled up the city hospitals for not having incinerators to treat bio-medical wastes. The only hospital that has one is the NEIGRIHMS.

The committee also expressed concern over the non-availability of effluent treatment plants in the city hospitals.

Meanwhile, the CoE also informed that the Mining and Geology Department has said that since 2015-2019, Rs 430 crore has been collected from transportation of coal which will go toward environmental restoration in the coal mining areas.

The CoE was told that out of the amount, the mining department is doing the restoration work in the affected mining areas with due approval of the National Green Tribunal.

“We told them the action plan should be discussed with the line departments, water resources, forest, agriculture departments,” the CoE chairman said.

CoE member Himalaya Shangpliang informed that the committee reviewed the functioning of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board even as he stated that the State Pollution Control Board has not been able to look into the smoke emission.

The committee took strong view of the smoke emitted from the trucks and other vehicles.

“We took a very strong view on the failure of the Transport Department and the MSPCB in containing the smoke emission, which leads to air pollution and gave them 15 days to come up with a report on how many cases have been penalised, how many cases have been taken up and how many stations are there to ensure that these vehicles do not emit such black smoke while travelling,” Shangpliang said.

“This is a major health hazard which we thought we should really take it seriously,” he added.

Shangpliang also informed that the committee members discussed with the Water Resources Department the Water Policy. The CoE recommended cleaning of rivers to the Water Resources Department. Shangpliang said that Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi in the city and Lukha river in Jaintia Hills are highly polluted.

He said that the polluted rivers are causing environmental hazards downstream and therefore the department was told to come up with a concept plan as to how they want to go about cleaning the rivers. “Umiam lake faces the danger of siltation and pollution. Therefore, we have told the Water Resources Department to come up with a concept plan.

Also Read: Mawphlang MLA SK Sunn For Speeding Up Shillong Water Supply Scheme