The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has taken strong action against a road construction agency after reports and viral videos showed debris from the ongoing Shillong–Dawki highway project being dumped into the Umngot River, one of India’s clearest and most scenic water bodies.
The project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been under construction since December 2021. Locals and environmental watchers raised alarm after the river, famous for its glass-like clarity, was seen turning murky from waste material washed down from excavation sites. Residents who depend heavily on tourism expressed concern that pollution could damage the river’s fragile ecosystem and harm the region’s global reputation among travellers.
Following inspections, the MSPCB issued strict directives to the project management unit — Mylliem — ordering immediate compliance with environmental norms and halting all dumping activity. MSPCB Chairman M.R. Narmaia cited violations under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and instructed the agency to follow the board’s standard operating procedures issued in March 2023.
Officials noted that excavation debris and soil were discarded without safeguards, causing erosion and sedimentation. They also observed a lack of slope protection and stabilisation structures, increasing the risk of landslides during monsoon rains. Investigators revealed that the executing agency — National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) — failed to maintain protective measures like sandbags to prevent runoff into the river.