The Meghalaya High Court has slammed the State government for the pollution of Umiam Lake and Ward’s despite the huge amount of public money spent to protect the two water bodies.
The division bench of Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder and Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew today took up the public interest litigation (PIL) filed on the matter.
During the hearing, the State government submitted a status report following inspection of Umiam Lake and Ward’s Lake, in terms of the court’s earlier order passed on March 4.
According to the High Court, a bare perusal of the status report revealed that not all departments of the State government have specifically complied with the directions of the court as contained in the order passed on March 4.
The report further revealed that a significant amount of public money is being spent by the State exchequer in order to maintain Umiam Lake and Ward’s Lake “with practically little or no accountability”.
Expressing concern with the condition of Marten landfill which is close to Umiam Lake, the court said, “One such instance is the amount of Rs. 19.33 crores having been spent on the Phase II Project. A single wall holds a mountain of garbage.”
The court also said that a newly constructed treatment plant and landfill sanitary plant at the Marten garbage dump is non-functioning at this moment.
“As it appears from the report, it (treatment plant/landfill sanitary plant) functions seasonally and that too only during monsoons or when it rains,” the court said.
The High Court also stated that the mouth of the outlet from the Marten garbage dump is broken and polluted water from the treatment plant/landfill sanitary plant flows directly into the Umiam Lake, polluting not only the lake but also the forest land area through which it passes.
It also said that a narrow road which is there in existence is practically left unattended by the Public Works (Roads) Department as well as the Forest Department and this narrow road is on the verge of collapse.
As far as Ward’s Lake is concerned, the High Court said that as per the government’s status report, monthly average of Rs. 10,61,035 is being spent on account of salary, wages, office expenses, minor works, other charges and also towards the AMRUT Project.
“Yet, the paved pathway, which is normally used by scores of morning walkers/joggers, is never swept clean before they arrive in the morning. The wooden fences are yet to be completed around the perimeter of the lake. Even some of the Shillong Heritage Walk write-ups (prepared by Meghalaya Tourism) are not properly installed at conspicuous spots wherefrom it could have attracted more visibility,” the High Court said.
The court also said that the surrounding land area of Ward’s Lake remains covered with dead and dry leaves which are not removed on a regular/daily basis by the staff that are responsible for maintaining Ward’s Lake.
“Parts of the lake and its surroundings reveal practically no maintenance or preservation at all. Even worse, a photograph, which has been annexed to the report, reveals seepage of water from the septic tank near the parking lot into the lake thereby causing pollutants to infiltrate the lake, which is supposed to be maintained in a pristine condition,” the court said.
Considering the fact that a substantial amount of public money is being spent on a regular basis, the High Court has asked the lawyer appearing for the State government to consider the contents of the report as well as the observations made by the court and call a meeting of all the concerned departments of the State government as well as the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council in order to suggest measures for efficacious resolution of the issues plaguing both Umiam Lake and Ward’s Lake.
The court also directed the State government to file a comprehensive report in this regard on the next hearing. The case has been listed for hearing after two weeks.
