SHILLONG: Out of 365 villages which have been awarded with the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) 2011 Award, it is suprising that none of the villages from Jaintia Hills received the award.
As per the total sanitation campaign report, which showcases the performance of the Khasi Hills, Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi, it was mentioned that one of the no villages from Jaintia Hills qualified to get the NGP Award for 2011.
SHILLONG: The fear of witnessing further environmental hazard made a young and educated lady to voice her opinion against the powerful traditional leaders of Umlong village, East Jaintia Hills district during a public hearing to decide the fate of another proposed cement plant in the limestone rich belt.
This public hearing was organised by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) in order to get the public opinion on the setting up of a new cement plant in Umlong village by Nilanchaal Cement Pvt. Ltd., Noida.
SHILLONG: The unscientific ‘rat hole mining’ that received the Cabinet approval in the form of the Meghalaya Minerals and Mining Policy 2012 on October 5 this year received an endorsement on Monday
SHILLONG: In a ray of hope for the water-starved residents of Jowai and adjoining villages, the much-delayed river pumping water supply scheme for the area is expected to be commissioned by March 2013.
An official of the PHE department recently informed that the project is in its final stages and 90 per cent of the work has already been completed. “The department is currently carrying out the distribution of pipelines,” the official said.
SHILLONG: The Gauhati High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the State Government for failing to take tangible steps in the matters pertaining to framing of Mining policy.
Hearing the petition filed by prominent lawyer Siddharth Dey on behalf of the five citizens from Jaintia Hills on Monday, a division bench of Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice NK Singh decided to impose the fine after it did not get a satisfactory reply from Additional Advocate General BP Todi.
SHILLONG: The joint inspection committee, constituted by the State Government whether the cement plants established in Jaintia Hills had in actuality flouted environmental norms, has submitted its report.
According to an official source, though the Committee submitted its report to the State Government on August 31, the latter is yet to initiate any action against the cement plants based on the report.
JOWAI: Unauthorised checking of labour licenses by certain NGOs in Jaintia hills have badly affected coal mine owners, who have claimed that such checking has led to shortage of manpower in their respective mines.
Coal traders allege that checking of labour license and other documents of inter-state migrant labourers has not only affected the coal trade but has also become a harassment for both coal traders and migrant labourers.
SHILLONG: The HSPDP on Thursday asked the State Government to revoke the order on declaring parts of West Khasi Hills as an elephant reserve.
The Central Executive Committee of HSPDP which met on Thursday took a serious note on the notification issued by the Forest department in this regard. The general secretary of HSPDP, EK Raswai, said after the meeting that as the land belongs to the people, the Government cannot away take the rights of people.
SHILLONG, Aug 27 – Despite widespread opposition against unscientific rat-hole mining, Meghalaya’s draft mining policy does not propose to ban such mining practices, instead the draft policy has in
New Delhi: The Central government on Tuesday said mining activities have contaminated drinking water sources in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.
“The Megh-alaya government has reported that sources of some drinking water supply schemes have had to be shifted due to contamination caused by mining and some major rivers in the area have been found to be unfit for human use,” Rural Development Minister and Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
