NONGSTOIN: Thousands of people participated in the Total Sanitation Campaign programme organised by the State Water and Sanitation Board in collaboration with the District Water and Sanitation Mission at Mawkyrwat on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh was the chief guest on the occasion. The main objective of the Campaign was to eliminate the practice of open defecation and pigsty toilets, ensuring construction of sanitary latrines for households apart from safe disposal of human faeces and maintenance of personal and environmental hygiene.

NONGSTOIN: People of Mawthadraishan Block in West Khasi Hills district have opposed the district administration’s decision to issue ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) to set up cook mine factory at Madan Riewblei.

A public meeting was held recently here where people voiced their opposition to the administration’s decision. The meeting, convened by the Synjuk Nongsynshar Shnong of Umiap area, was attended by members of FKJGP, West Khasi Hills Students’ Union (WKHSU) and Senglongkmie, Headman of the area.

SHILLONG: With each passing day, the thick lush forest cover in West Khasi Hills district is fast thinning presenting a very worrisome sight. While the primary reason for the loss of forest cover points towards the rampant burning of firewood to generate charcoal, what is worrying is that even persons who own vast areas of forests do not seem to care or incline to protect their assets for the future generations.

Concerned over the dwindling forest cover especially in West Khasi Hills and the wanton burning of firewood for charcoal, Deputy Chief minister in charge of mining and geology Bindo M Lanong said,

The Meghalaya government on Friday denied a report that fish in the State's Ranikor river were dying due to exploratory drilling for uranium ore and claimed the water had turned toxic from substances used by local people for fishing.

“The fish have died not due to exploratory drilling for uranium ore but due to the toxicity of the river where local people use toxic substances for catching fish,” Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M. Lanong said.

Shillong, April 19: The preliminary report on the cause of the death of fishes in Kynshi and Rilang rivers, West Khasi Hills, has ruled out the possibility of radiation from uranium ore exploration. The report said the two possible reasons are coal mining and spread of toxic substances in the rivers by some individuals.

Briefing reporters on the interim report today, deputy chief minister Bindo Lanong, who also holds the mining and geology portfolio, said two geologists — K.B. Surong and E. Nongbri — visited the spot on April 17 and tested the waters of both the rivers.

The Meghalaya government today said preliminary investigation suggests the sudden death of fishes in Ranikor River in West Khasi Hills district is probably due to “use of toxic substances by locals” or coal mining and that uranium radiation has slim chance of causing the deaths. “If uranium radiation was the cause of the deaths, all other aquatic live forms there would have also been affected and there would have been lesions on the fishes. This was not the case,” Minister for Mining and Geology Bindo Lanong said.

Shillong, April 17: The state government is yet to ascertain the cause of death of fishes in two rivers of West Khasi Hills, even four days after the incident. It was on April 13 that dead fishes were found floating in Kynshi and Rilang rivers near Ranikor. There were also reports of villagers, who consumed fishes from these rivers, suffering from dysentery. Three varied theories are doing the rounds as the possible causes for the death of fishes. One possibility is the acid mine drainage from coal mines to the rivers in the West Khasi Hills like in Jaintia Hills.

Shillong, April 15: Scientists from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board will test the waters of Kynshi and Rilang rivers in West Khasi Hills to ascertain its quality following the death of thousands of fishes since Friday. The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) attributed the unprecedented incident to the exploratory drilling of uranium ore undertaken by a private firm at Porkut near Nongri in West Khasi Hills.

Reports coming in from Ranikor, where the rivers congregate, said more dead fishes had surfaced today.

SHILLONG: Lone KHNAM MDC in the KHADC, Adelbert Nongrum, has come down heavily on the Congress-led Executive Committee for allowing Maheshwari Mining Private Limited to operate in West Khasi Hills district despite claiming that it had cancelled the company’s trading license.

“I have inspected the spot and seen for myself that the firm has its office in Ranikor area,” Nongrum said while speaking during Question Hour on Wednesday.

NONGSTOIN: Water scarcity in Marngor area consisting of six villages Marngor, Langlew, Mawkhanpamdeh, MawBlei mawjnoin, Phyllut and Mawkhan Wahkwang is reaching an alarming proportion with people of the area suffering a lot due to water crisis.

Residents of the locality can be seen waiting in long queues at some of the water ponds in the area with empty buckets and plastic gallons for their turn. On many occasions this wait for water often leads to quarrels and fights between the residents.