Shillong: The East Khasi Hills District administration in Meghalaya has immediately banned the unauthorised discharge of untreated sewage and waste disposal into the heavily polluted Umkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers in Shillong.
The prohibition specifically targets six locations showing severe contamination. These include Umshyrpi near Law College, Umshyrpi at Umshyrpi Bridge, Umkhrah at Demthring, Umkhrah at Umkaliar, Umkhrah near the slaughterhouse at Mawlai Phudmuri and Umkhrah at Mawpdang Mawlai.
The prohibition order has been issued under Section 163 of the BNSS following alarming test results from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board.
The results showed no significant improvement in water quality at several critical monitoring points.
The increase in parameters like Biological Oxygen Demand & Faecal Coliform, unauthorised discharge of domestic sewage from septic tanks into the water bodies and dumping of garbage into water bodies are the chief polluting factors.
The violations would lead to prosecution under Section 223 of the BNS. Additional legal action under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, are also mooted.