Govt solicits participation of headmen & civil society for rejuvenating India’s two most polluted rivers

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 14, 2023

The Meghalaya Government convened a meeting on Rejuvenation and Restoration of the major rivers of Shillong viz Wahumkhrah, Wah Umshyrpi and Wah Umkhen at Yojana Bhawan, Shillong on Friday.

Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma said that the objective of the meeting was identify the critical gaps and devise future action plan and the way forward in the rejuvenation and restoration of the three important rivers of Shillong while soliciting the participation and suggestions of the Dorbar Shnongs and the communities.

The Chief Minister said, “The meeting that we are having today is a part of the larger agenda of the State government to have a balance among livelihood, economy and environment so that while the economic needs are being taken care of the environment is also protected and conserved for future generations,”.

He also highlighted some of the government programmes for climate change mitigation, sewage and waste management, phasing out single use plastic, mitigating air pollution through use of electric vehicles and afforestation and community participation through awareness and involvement of students and youth through programmes and designing curriculum.

Earlier, Chief Secretary, DP Wahlang in his presentation said that there are NGT and court directives to address the issue of pollution of the rivers. He also informed that Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi are among the 45 most polluted rivers of the country as listed by NGT.

He called upon the active participation of the community and different stakeholders like KHADC, Dorbar Shnongs, civil society organizations in awareness and mobilization.

Members of Dorbar Shnong, different organizations and bodies later actively participated in the Interactive Session.