Shillong, Dec 5: Shillong MP Ricky AJ Syngkon raised the deleterious effects that work on the Shillong-Dawki Road expansion project has caused to farmers, ordinary people and those dependent on tourism.
Speaking during the Lok Sabha’s ongoing winter session, Syngkon said that the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (NHIDCL) had carried out the work on this road as well as the Western Bypass without following standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The MP said that “reckless construction” has greatly affected paddy fields, water sources and the people who depend on these natural resources.
He appealed to the concerned Ministry to take action to pay compensation to the farmers and guesthouse owners and others who have been affected by the unmindful dumping of debris which has changed the appearance of the rivers and also to demand that the government should punish those involved in such acts, especially the contractors.
The Umngot River, famous for its crystal clear water, turned muddy around a month ago, in part due to a contractor on the Shillong-Dawki project dumping loose earth above a small stream that subsequently washed down into the Umngot.
