Assembly’s committee on environment directs JNV school to set up water treatment plant

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 25, 2019

SHILLONG: The state Assembly’s Committee on Environment has directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department to stop discharging water from the treatment plant of the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) at Mawphlang to the river.

At the same time, the committee headed by Mawphlang legislator SK Sunn also issued one week’s time to the authority of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) to set up the sewage treatment plant failing which the school will be asked to close down.

This came after the committee had conducted an inspection to the treatment plant of the GSWSS and also to JNV School here on Tuesday.

Sunn was accompanied by members of the committee which include Mawsynram legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang, Ampati legislator Miani D Shira, Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and others.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the inspection, Sunn said the committee has also expressed its concern over the report of the Meghalaya Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and directed that the board should not give wrong report about the water quality of the Wah Umiew river.

“As per the MPCB, the water quality of the river Umiew is between 3 to 7.5 NTU. However, we were surprised because looking at the photograph taken last month, the water of the river is seen to be very polluted,” he said.

He informed that the committee will also summon concerned officials to seek clarification on the matter during a meeting to be held in Shillong.

The chairperson of the committee further informed that the PHE department has been directed not to discharge water from the treatment plant directly to the river.

Meanwhile, the committee on environment has also decided to soon conduct inspections to the different districts including those from where cement factories are operating.