Shillong, Mar 19: Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling said the department is seeking fund of Rs 27 lakh from the state government for cleaning the Umkhrah river in the city.

“We are moving to get fund of Rs 27 lakh from the government (as) our intention is to clean the whole stretch of the Wah Umkhrah,” Dohling said while replying to a supplementary querries raised by KHNAM MLA Adelbert Nongrum in the Assembly here on Thursday.

Urging the stakeholders especially peple residing along the stretch of the river, to cooperate with the government, Dohling said the objective of cleaning the river is to bring back the old fame and glory of the river but that again will depend on the fund received from the state government.

The minister also informed that the Shillong Municipal Board had taken up a special cleaning drive at a cost of Rs 16 lakh (sanctioned by the deputy commissioner of East Khasi Hills) as part of the North East Food Fest held in December, last year.

Congress MLA Himalaya Shangpliang also wanted to know whether the department is planning to converge with other departments for cleaning the Umshyrpi and Umkhrah rivers.

According to him, if the government does not check the amount of garbages that flows from these two rivers to Umiam river, it may affect the power generation from the dam.

To this, the minister informed that the department has prepared an action plan to rejuvenate the two rivers and the same was approved by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB). He however said fund is yet to be approved.

The minister also informed that the department is imposing fine against any found dumping garbage into the rivers.

However, East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh suggested the need to constitute an appellate body for disposing of such cases as she alleged that the SMB is randomly issuing fines and summons to people without prove to which the minister assured that the point raised has been noted by him.

At the same time, he again appeal to the citizens especially those living along the two rivers to cooperate with the SMB authority and to refrain from dumping garbage into the rivers.

When Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope wanted to know the main factors that contribute to the contamination of the Wah Umkhrah, the minister however said that the matter was not related to the principal question. To this, Pyngrope said, “If we do not know what is contaminating the rivers then how do we clean (them).” He requested the minister to find out and take steps to stop such contamination.