SHILLONG, Nov 1: The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has issued directions to the Project Management Unit-Mylliem, responsible for the Shillong-Dawki road project to take steps for immediate removal of the construction and demolition waste dumped in the Umngot river.
In a letter issued to the general manager (P) Project Management Unit – Mylliem on Friday, Chairman of MSPCB R Nanamalai said, “Now, therefore, in exercise of the power conferred under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, it is hereby directed as follows: to ensure that Standard Operating Procedure as mentioned in S.O. 1223(E) dated 17th March, 2025 be strictly followed and to cause immediate removal of the construction & demolition waste dumped in Umngot River.”
“The board also directed, “…all their contractors to apply for Consent to Establish/Consent to Operate from the Board within a period of 15(fifteen) days.”
The contractors are also ased to strictly implemented the Meghalaya Stone Crusher Order No. FOR.60/2008/Pt-I/17 dated 23rd December 2021 – especially with regard to legal source of boulders.
The directions were issued following an inspection carried out by the Board’s officials on Friday (October 31), which revealed extensive excavation, earthwork, and filling activities and are being dumped along the roadside of the Shillong-Dawki road (which is currently under construction and divided into five packages) without proper containment or stabilization measures.
The inspection also found that on crossing the Pynursla-Dawki Bridge, recent filling works had been carried out by NHIDCL in response to a landslide that occurred recently.
“The filling has been done without any retaining structures such as sandbags or other stabilization measures. As a result, the filling material is observed to be sliding toward the Umngot River, posing a risk of further erosion and sedimentation,”the board stated adding that the filled portion near the bridge appears unstable and has the potential to cause additional landslides, especially during rainfall.
The new Dawki Bridge construction site was also found to be contributing to river siltation due to hill cutting activities and loose soil and debris sliding down the slope toward the Umngot River, contributing to river siltation.
The Umngot River water at Shnongpdeng was observed to be muddy and turbid at the time of inspection.
Upon enquiry with local residents, it was informed that the river has remained persistently turbid in recent times.
The MSPCB has also collected water samples from the Umngot River for laboratory analysis to assess turbidity levels and other parameters.
During interaction with Trebor Suchen at Darang, the board officials were informed that the source of turbidity appears to originate from Wah Umsong, located at Laitlyngkot (likely within Package II of the project).
It was reported that a large volume of excavated earth has been dumped near one of the tributaries of the Umngot River, which could be contributing to the observed turbidity downstream, the board stated.
The directions are issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Project Management Unit-Mylliem has been directed to submit an action taken report at the earliest.
 has issued directions to the Project Management Unit-Mylliem, responsible for the Shillong-Dawki road project to take steps for immediate removal of the construction and demolition waste dumped in the Umngot river.){kind=link}