Meghalaya: Expert committee meets DCs to discuss water bodies restoration

An expert committee that was constituted for the restoration and protection of water bodies, on October 13, held a meeting with the deputy commissioners of all the districts in the state.

The first meeting was held in July this year.

During the meeting, the chairman of the expert committee, Naba Bhattacharjee clarified the process of how to identify affected and polluted water bodies. 

"After the first meeting of the expert committee, a format was sent to all Deputy Commissioners of all the districts giving them the parameters on how to identify these water bodies which are affected, polluted, and contaminated and then submit a report. The meeting today was to review the information passed on by the Districts. Few of the districts (3-4 of them) weren’t clear about the format, so clarification was given to them," informed the chairman.

The expert committee has now given the remaining districts 10 days time to submit their report. 

Once the committee receives the full report, they will study it and will come up with expert prescriptions for the different ills which are affecting the different water bodies.

Bhattacharjee also mentioned that there will be over hundreds of water Bodies that will come up. 

While the committee has been entrusted with the job to come up with an action plan, seven rivers which are  Umkhrah, Umshyrpi, Kyrhokhla, Nonbah, Umtrew, Lukha, and Myntdu, rivers are dealt with by a separate Committee. 

Apart from this 53 wetlands are taken care of by State Wetland authorities. 

"Around 60 rivers are kept out of the purview of this committee. Minus this 60 all other water bodies, lakes ponds including the stretches of Rivers, which are deemed to be polluted will be taken up by the committee," informed Bhattacharjee.

Notably, the expert committee was constituted on June 23 this year in accordance with the High Court of Meghalaya PIL No.10 of 2019 in the Re-Cleanliness of Umium Lake Vs the State of Meghalaya. 

The mandate of the Committee is to advise the State Government on measures to be taken for the restoration and protection of water bodies in the State.