Shillong, Oct 29: VPP MP from Shillong Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon has written to Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav requesting their intervention into the severe environmental degradation of the Umngot River, also known as the Dawki River, allegedly due to the ongoing Shillong-Tamabil Road Expansion Project.
According to him, the project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), has led to large-scale dumping of excavated material into the river, causing significant environmental damage.
The river, once celebrated as “Asia’s cleanest river,” has turned muddy and lifeless, alarming local communities, tourism operators, and environmental organizations.
Syngkon has requested immediate action to address the issue, including a halt to all hill-cutting and soil disposal activities impacting the river and its tributaries.
He has also sought a joint inspection by a high-level team comprising officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and other concerned agencies.
The VPP MP has also urged the government to levy environmental compensation on NHIDCL, similar to a National Green Tribunal precedent in Uttarakhand, and to prepare a river restoration and rehabilitation plan for the Umngot ecosystem.
Additionally, he has sought accountability measures against officials responsible for environmental non-compliance.
The Umngot River supports hundreds of families through tourism-based livelihoods, and its degradation has already led to tourist cancellations, threatening the local economy and Meghalaya’s environmental identity.
