JOWAI: Unscientific limestone mining in War-Jaintia, Amlarem Sub-Division in Jaintia Hills has become a cause of concern for residents of Nongtalang village and its surrounding villages who are facing an impending water scarcity in the area.

A huge quantity of limestone is exported to Bangladesh via Tamabil on a daily basis which has encouraged individuals in the area to start limestone mining. The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council has so far issued 21 numbers of NOCs (No Objection Certificates) for extraction of limestone, 25 NOCs to exporters and another 12 to transporters.

Amid growing clamour to protect the Ganga, Union Minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Sunday said the Centre was committed to saving the river and has sanctioned projects worth more than Rs. 2,500 crore for the purpose.

"The Centre is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a clean Ganga. Projects worth Rs. 2,677 crore have already been sanctioned for the purpose. Of these projects, Rs. 1,342 crore has been earmarked for setting up of sewage treatment plants and other related works in Uttar Pradesh," Natarajan said.

The Nangyang Technological University of Singapore has offered assistance to rehabilitate the Kandy Lake.

A team of environmental engineers from the Nangyang University, led by its President Professor Bartill Anderson, pledged to extend support to renovate the Kandy Lake by providing funds and knowhow. The lake is polluted and partially silted up and parts of its banks are faced with threat of collapse.

The 3,000MW NTPC-Kaniha power station which consumes about 55,000 tonne of coal per day has introduced various environment friendly steps to control both water and air pollution strictly as per the norms of state pollution control board.

According to the plant authorities, this ultra modern plant is equipped with electro static precipitator having efficiency of more than 99% for controlling air pollution. The details of emission and environment related data of the plant are scrutinized by government authorities from time to time.

Action against those using contaminated sources: Collector

Even as many parts of the district are experiencing acute drinking water scarcity, the quality of drinking water being supplied in tanker lorries by private agencies has raised concerns in the wake of media reports that contaminated water sources are being used for collecting water in other parts of the State.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and the governments of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to furnish information on expenditure incurred by them for cleaning up the Yamuna. A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia asked the Central Water Pollution Control Board to take samples of Yamuna and submit a report on its cleanliness.