Shillong, Aug 17: Former minister and UDP legislator Lahkmen Rymbui has called for strict action against encroachments on riverbanks and near water sources, warning of devastating consequences of unchecked settlements along turbulent rivers in the hilly state.
Deputy commissioners must take the lead in circulating existing laws to local authorities and traditional institutions to help carry out enforcement in a smooth manner, the former forest and environment minister said in the wake of the devastations caused by flash floods in Himalayan region.
He cautioned that allowing dwellings to come up on riverbanks was a dangerous trend.
“Once houses are built along a river, the water body begins to die,” he remarked, noting that the fallout would not just harm Meghalaya but ripple across the country.
Highlighting the risks, he said erosion, contamination, and other water-related challenges only worsen when unplanned settlements are allowed to proliferate.
Drawing parallels with recent tragedies in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, he observed that the fatalities in such disaster-prone areas should serve as a lesson.
He also reminded that Meghalaya had recently witnessed a similar tragedy when lives were lost on an under-construction road.
According to him, identifying and publicising vulnerable areas is crucial.
“Vulnerable areas must be mapped, marked, and the information disseminated to the public,” Rymbui stressed, while urging various agencies — including disaster management and development authorities — to collaborate more closely to safeguard people’s lives and livelihoods.
