The East Khasi Hills district magistrate has prohibited washing and use of stream or well for disposal of polluting matter etc., along the catchment and tributaries of Umiew River and all its tributaries, streams.
The order under Section 144 CrPC was necessitated in order to tackle and prevent the pollution of rivers pertaining to a large scale car washing in river Umiew at Umiew Maw-U-Sam, Smit area, wherein a prohibitory order was also issued by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board.
Such act of polluting the river, streams if allowed to continue will disturb the river ecosystem and the environment thereby making it unfit for human consumption affecting aquatic life and impacting the food chain, causing health risk for those using the water.