Shillong, Oct 30: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Meghalaya government to file affidavit within a week on the suggestions placed before the green court by the petitioners who had filed a petition on the need to reclaim and protect the two polluted rivers – Umkhrah and Umshyrpi that run into the Umïam reservoir.

In its order passed on October 26, the NGT Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata said, “Before we proceed to culminate the cases by issuing final directions, we request Nababrata Bhattacharjee to place before us in writing the issues and suggestions placed by him before us today for our consideration.”

It also directed that such suggestions be handed over in advance to the state respondents which include the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) in order to enable them to file responses, if any.

The state respondents have been also asked to serve copies of the affidavits filed by them to the applicants – Nababrata Bhattacharjee and James Roy Kurbah within a week.

In a statement issued here, Bhattacharjee said that while countering the claims of the state government, he had given a preview of the existing ground position, where except a degree of improvement in soild waste collection and taking action against those who litter based on “polluter pays” norms of NGT, no significant improvement has taken place either in solid waste or sewage management aspect.

“The Bench being convinced of my argument justified with facts and figures, has sought a detailed report in writing of my verbal presentation in the next hearing,” he said.

The bench has also considered the difficulty expressed by the applicants for their inability to be present before the NGT Bench for few earlier hearings due to high cost of travel and accommodation and directed the State government’s department of Urban Affairs, to finance the travel expenses of both the applicants to and fro Shillong and Kolkata and for their stay at Kolkata for attending the Tribunal’s hearing till disposal of the cases.

Meanwhile, the bench also asked the state pollution control board to enlighten on the present status with regard to the Health Care Units that were non-compliant as per table provided by the state respondents.

The Principal Secretary, Department of Health, Government of Meghalaya shall examine the technical features of the ETPs and CETPs that are under construction to ensure that those become functional after completion, it stated.

The NGT also directed the pollution board to monitor the functionality of the existing ETPs and STPs not only within Shillong Municipal area but also in all the urban areas of the State and submit a report before the next hearing scheduled on November 10.