Umkhrah River goes through Clean-up Drive at Shillong 

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: A cleaning drive or a forceful widening of the alley besides the Umkhrah river in the heart of Shillong city amazed routine passers-by. Right in the heart of Polo, an earth-moving machine was visible since Monday, extracting the deposited filth besides disturbing the miniature natural banks of the river.

The work carried out by the earthmover has stretched to nearly 150 metres in two days time. The filth and garbage dumped by Shillongites is visible as the earth-mover pounds the stretch of the Umkhrah River bed and its embankment.

Most of the general public doesn’t know the true purpose of the exercise that has re-shaped the river. “What is the reason that our river has been made wider”, quipped an onlooker in daze, while appreciating the work carried out to clean the river. It may be mentioned here that the river that runs through the city has reached a point where there are no aquatic lives due to pollutants.

The Sentinel elicited the views of the officials of the Meghalaya Urban Development Agency (MUDA), but they feigned ignorance on the cleaning exercise. It is learnt that the entire programme is part of the programme of the East Khasi Hills District administration. Another source said that the entire move is part of the food festival to be hosted by Meghalaya. More than 300 participants from the country will be part of the programme next month. Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills Mat Siewdor War could not be contacted for her comments.

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