Move to end water crisis in Tura

Tura: After facing intense pressure from the people and various NGOs, political parties and stake holders of Garo Hills, the State Government has cleared the decks for sanctioning of three new pumps and maintainence of old ones with immediate effect to bring to a close the ongoing water crisis in Tura.

New Delhi: In the face of a gloomy economy at home and global crisis abroad, the lowly services sector proved a savior with the backward Northeast region registering the highest growth in this segment, the much-awaited Economic Survey released on Thursday said.

The Economic Survey for 2011-12 tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament, on the eve of presentation of the general Budget, projected a 7.6 per cent growth for the next fiscal.

SHILLONG: Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong has admission that the iconic Ward’s Lake of Shillong is polluted due to discharge of untreated wastes from a hotel and the Shillong Club.

Replying to a Call Attention Motion on Thursday he said due to constant seepage of effluents even fishes were dying. He also informed that the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) had taken up the issue of non-compliance of environment rules by the polluters

Mawprem legislator Manas Chaudhuri on Wednesday raised concern over the shoddy manner the drainage system under the JNNURM Scheme is being implemented in various parts of the city.

“It is really painful that there are many drains being constructed in slipshod and unprofessional manner,” Chaudhuri said during the Question Hour in the Assembly.

SHILLONG: The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Audit) has unearthed what could be considered a major scam of Rs 3.19 crore which was avoidable infructuous expenditure for the construction of the of divide walls in the (2X24) MW Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Electric Project (MLHEP).

As per the interim report, the work for the construction of dam and appurtenant work of the MLHEP including diversion channel, divide wall and upstream & downstream cofferdam was awarded to Sew Construction Limited, Hyderabad in March 2004 at the total contract value of Rs 27.81 crore

SHILLONG: The Khasi-Jaintia Ri-Bhoi Border Fish Protection Committee (KJRBFPC) including the KSU Mawryngkneng Circle has decided to recognize Umkhen River as a Fish Conservation Area.

The decision came after a meeting held by the KSU Mawryngkneng Circle and the KJRBFPC including the Rangbah Shnong of villages located near the river at Thadrang, Ri-Bhoi District recently.

TURA: The Tura district administration has imposed Section 144 CrPC prohibiting the dumping of sewage and pumping of water from the streams of Tura in view of the drastic water shortage problem of the town.

West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi held a meeting on water conservation and containing jhumming at his office chamber on Monday in which the Garo Students Union, Mothers’ Union, Nokmas Council, School principals, church elders, senior citizens took part.

SHILLONG: To check the mindless extraction of coal and rapid depredation environment, Independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri has suggested setting up of a thermal plant in the coal-rich Jaiñtia Hills.

“The State Government should seriously give a thought of setting up a thermal plant in Jaiñtia Hills since it would help the State generate additional power,” Chaudhuri said while participating in the discussion on the Governor’s address here on Monday.

SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Health and Family Welfare, Rowell Lyngdoh, has admitted that the State does not have standardized equipment to check if food items like milk is contaminated.

“All this time out of good faith we believed that the milk which is being supplied by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department and other local milk producers are not contaminated.

SHILLONG: Water Resources Minister AL Hek has informed that rain water harvesting in the existing and new buildings on plots of 100 square metres and above has been made mandatory in the Meghalaya Bye Laws-2011.

Replying to a question raised by Manas Chaudhuri (Ind) during Question Hour in the Assembly on Monday, Hek said that if the people failed to comply with the above provision of the Act to have facility of rain water harvesting in their building then the department is authorized to deny the occupancy certificate.