A spate of drownings, particularly among young people, has been reported along the Umtrew River in Byrnihat, Ri-Bhoi, the latest of these having occurred on May 26 when a young man from Assam died in the water.
This increase has been attributed to the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) releasing large amounts of water from dams upstream without prior warning.
The Umtrew River is a popular tourist destination for visitors from Meghalaya and Assam, especially during the summer months. However, it has recently become perilous due to the MeECL’s failure to alert tourists and local residents before releasing water, villagers claim.
The utility in the past would issue warnings but these have since ceased, village leaders Amit R Marak and Romen Ronghang said. The pair called for MeECL to resume these warnings and also to issue sirens to alert the public before the release of water. It is the sudden release and the corresponding rise in the level of water that has been blamed in the most recent case of drowning.
