Plan is underway to shift the Conservation of Training Institute (CTI) of the Soil & Water Conservation Department to pave way for the proposed creation of a new industrial estate in Byrnihat, Ri Bhoi district.
Source said the government has started looking for a new site in Mawkhanu, East Khasi Hills to relocate the CTI and the department.
The Meghalaya government plans to convert 134 acres of the conservation land that belonged to the Social and Water Conservation and Agriculture Departments into an industrial estate to pave way for its 10 billion dollar economy road map, despite opposition from various quarters.
The CTI in Byrnihat is well-known across Northeast as an institution providing environmental education and forestry training, drawing trainees from across the region.
The government’s plan to repurpose the land for industrial development is expected to have significant environmental consequences even as concerns have been raised about potential impacts on the local ecosystem and biodiversity.
The Investment Meghalaya Authority (IMA) will acquire these lands for setting up of the industrial estate. The IMA had replaced the Single Window Agency which was set up in 1995 to promote investments in Meghalaya as well as to enhance the ease of doing business in the State by introducing a streamlined, unified system for handling investment applications.
