Govt constitutes expert committee to come up with guidelines for protection of water bodies in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 3, 2023

A 15-member expert committee has been constituted to advise the State government on measures to be taken for restoration and protection of water bodies and for laying down guidelines for protection of water bodies in the State and formulating norms for future construction in and around Umiam Lake.

The committee has been constituted as per notification issued by the state on January 19.

This was informed before the Meghalaya High Court while hearing a PIL on Thursday.  

The court in its order said that terms of reference appear to be exhaustive. One of the terms is that the expert committee will meet at least once a month.

Learned Advocate-General submitted that the expert committee’s report will be submitted to the Forest and Environment Department of the State for the same to be vetted, considered and implemented to the extent deemed appropriate.

The one striking feature of the notification is that though the expert committee has been constituted in respect of water bodies across the State, the guidelines as to construction are limited to the Umiam Lake and not to other water bodies.

It would be ideal if the authority to recommend guidelines is extended to other water bodies as well since construction around a waterbody ultimately leads to its degradation and possible extinction.

The other aspect is that the expert committee does not contain members of the Autonomous District Councils.

Since the land across the State, except the European ward in Shillong, belongs to the tribal communities and the Autonomous District Councils administer the relevant areas, it is imperative that for waterbodies falling within the jurisdiction of one or the other Autonomous District Council, designated members of the relevant Autonomous District Councils be co-opted on the sub-committee pertaining to such waterbody for the sub-committee to report to the expert body that has been constituted by the notification of January 19, 2023 for the final recommendations to be made by such expert committee as already constituted.

The court said the State agreed that till such time the guidelines as to construction around the Umiam Lake are recommended and issued, no further construction will come up around the Umaim Lake from a level up to 50m from the highest water level.

“It is hoped that such a policy is also extended to the other existing waterbodies so that further degradation does not take place in the interregnum before recommendations and guidelines are issued for rejuvenation, recharging or maintenance of the remainder of the many waterbodies in the State,” it said.

Mahanta, who has been assisting the Court in this matter, submitted that the expert body should include members conversant with aquatic animal life.

The court said it is hoped that the expert committee already constituted will take the assistance of experts in such regard since the conservation of the water implies the conservation of the life in the water as well. The next hearing on the matter will be held on March 16.