Alarm bells as Meghalaya river known for its pristine waters turns murky

However, this year, even as the peak tourist season, central to the local economy, has dawned, the river is murky and opaque.

“It’s normal for it (the river) to be this way during monsoon but normally by mid-October it becomes clear. Tourists are coming and leaving disappointed seeing the brown water,” said a resident of Shnongpdeng who runs a camping site.

All fingers in the state are pointing towards the construction work being carried out by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) for the upgrade of Shillong-Dawki corridor. Shillong MP from the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP), Ricky Syngkon, has written to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, seeking their intervention. “The Umngot river, a symbol of Meghalaya’s pristine natural heritage and a major tourism asset, has tragically turned muddy and lifeless this October, a period when its waters should be crystal clear,” he wrote, stating that it has been caused by the ongoing construction activities.

“This development has alarmed local communities, tourism operators and environmental organisations, who report massive dumping of soil and construction debris into river systems, especially near Umtyngar and Dawki, during hill-cutting operations along the project alignment,” he wrote.

Meghalaya cabinet minister Lahkmen Rymbui, who is also the area MLA, told The Indian Express that the state government has taken cognizance of the matter. “The Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has communicated with the NHIDCL to take measures to curb this,” he said.

The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board also wrote to the project monitoring unit concerned of NHIDCL last week pointing to lapses identified during an inspection such as large quantities of excavated soil “dumped along the road without adequate containment or stabilisation measures” and filling material “sliding towards the Umngot river”. It has directed that the relevant SOPs be followed and construction and demolition waste dumped in the river be immediately removed.

The work on upgrading the existing  81-km road from Shillong to Dawki to a two-lane highway with a 10-m carriageway had begun in May 2024. According to a senior NHIDCL official, the work is in a crucial stage of a bridge over the river.

“It’s a complex bridge, 400 metres long at a height of 100 metres over the river. It is a challenge and we are trying to complete it with all the precautions we can take. The work is being carried out through a contractor and we have asked the PMU to submit a detailed report, which will be submitted in a day or two. We have also asked them to investigate if the construction work is indeed the source of the discolouration or something else,” said the official.