Shillong, August 19: Concern over the quality of drinking water in the state as supplied by the PHE and the Shillong Municipal Board the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) state youth wing submitted a memorandum to the Chairman Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Meghalaya on Friday.
The KHNAM youth wing in the memorandum said, “The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) act 1974 has laid down specific guidelines to ensure that the water supplied to the general people at large is safe for drinking. However, despite of the various guidelines and instruction as given in the Act, the State Government has failed immensely.”
Stating that the main functions of the Central Pollution Control Board is to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the state, to ensure clean drinking water to the public as given in the Para 16 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) act 1974, Thomas Passah KHANM state youth wing president said, “We request the your kind intervention in this matter.”
Suggesting three points to be undertaken by the Chairman of CPCB, he said water resources in Meghalaya may be investigated by the Central Laboratory of the Central Pollution Control Board on a regular basis, and any uneven report on the water sample may please be notified to the public for general awareness.
He also requested the CPCB should allow KHNAM members to be present during the sample collection procedure. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
“In Meghalaya the Day was observed at Sohra only. It is requested that this day be celebrated widely and more meaningfully in the state to generate awareness on the important of clean drinking water,” he said.
The KHNAM State Youth Wing on 06 Jan 2016 had collected sample of drinking water from 4 ½ Mile (A reservoir of the PHE) and send it to Pasture Institute for testing, and reports says PH Value to be 5.7 and MPN of Coliform is 5 (too high), the specialist reports have indicated that the PH value is below the prescribed limit and the water is bacteriological unfit for human consumption (copy of the report is attached for information please).
The report was sent to the PHE Minister along with the letter dated 14 Jan 2016 for necessary intervention. The matter was also conveyed to the Health Minister through our letter dated 21 Jan 2016. (Both letters attached for information please). The KHNAM Youth Wing has made few suggestions to the Health Minister to ensure safe drinking water and restore faith in the people.
Some of the suggestions put forward by KHNAM is to constitute an inquiry committee on the matter, regular testing of various water samples also be carried independently by the Health Department and the PHE should make public all the Test reports.
“The State Government has been very defensive on it’s approached on the sensitive issue, which is very saddened. Based on the claim of the Principal secretary in-charge PHE P.W Ingty, that the water is fit for drinking, the KHNAM Youth Wing have filed an RTI with the Pasture institute asking for copies of all test report with respect to drinking water for the last one year,” he said.
In this connection he said, not even a single test report says that the water is FIT as claimed by the Principal Secretary in-charge PHE, 29 test report of Water from Wahrisa (Shillong Municipal Board) was found unfit and 27 test report of Water from Umjasai (Shillong Municipal Board) was found unfit.
