Crystal water of Umngot River in Meghalaya turns muddy

The otherwise crystal clear water of Umngot River in Meghalaya on the edge of India-Bangladesh border has now turned muddy.
The thoughtless and relentless earth cutting and alleged dumping of soil and other materials into the river triggered by soil erosion from works upstream being undertaken by the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is largely the reason for the evolving aquatic disaster.
The Umngot river is a major tourist attraction mainly due to its crystal clear water and tourists can see the river bed upto a depth of about 8 meters, especially during this time of the year.
Villagers who depend on the Umngot river for tourism and livelihoods say the transformation has been sudden and alarming.
Concern with the pristine Umngot river turned muddy, Shillong Lok Sabha MP, Ricky Syngkon has written to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, seeking immediate intervention to address what he called “severe environmental degradation”
“The Umngot is more than a river; it is a symbol of Meghalaya’s natural heritage. Losing it would mean losing a part of our identity,” he said. In a letter addressed to Gadkari and Yadav, Syngkon claimed the dumping of soil and other materials in the rivers has led to “severe environmental degradation” of the Umngot river.
“It has been caused by ongoing construction activities under the Shillong–Tamabil Road Expansion Project (71 km of NH-40 expansion), being implemented by NHIDCL and funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency,” the MP said. “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,” Syngkon said.
Moreover, he said that such violations mirror past NHIDCL precedents, including the Bhagirathi River (Uttarakhand) case, where the National Green Tribunal imposed a Rs. 2 crore fine for similar offences.
Syngkon also noted that the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board has yet to take action, even as similar violations in other states have drawn penalties from the National Green Tribunal.
Syngkon also questioned the oversight mechanisms of JICA, known globally for its stringent environmental and social safeguards. He called for an immediate halt to hill-cutting and dumping near the river, a joint inspection involving central and state agencies, and environmental compensation to be imposed on NHIDCL.
Meanwhile, a delegation of tourism societies from the Darrang area met Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong and demanded to constitute a fact-finding committee to probe and initiate direct measures to address issues of erosion and pollution of the Umngot river.
“While we have some indications of the possible sources of this pollution, we trust in the wisdom as commitment of the government to conduct a thorough investigation and take urgent remedial action,” the Darang-based societies stated in a memorandum to Tynsong.