The Meghalaya High Court has issued an order to the state government, requesting a report on the actions taken to safeguard the Myntdu River in the Jaintia Hills region. After hearing a PIL on the subject on November 19, the bench, which included Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherji and Justice W Diengdoh, issued an order stating that the Amicus Curiae must provide a report by February 28, 2025. By March 13, 2025, the government will also submit a report outlining the steps it has taken and reacting to the Amicus Curiae report. The importance of the river, which irrigates the state’s two fertile valleys, Pynthor Nein and Pynthor Wah, and sustains some 40,000 people, was emphasized in Amicus Curiae P. Yobin’s joint inspection report.
The government’s acceptance of construction near the river is the source of the petition’s discontent. Second, silt deposits have formed in the river bed as a result of the government’s inadequate efforts to prevent river erosion. Together, they are clogging up the river and preventing enough water from flowing for drinking, farming, and other uses. Nonetheless, the bench declared that it is pleased with the report, which was submitted today, indicating that the government has taken action to stop soil erosion and to clear the trash that building projects have left in the river.
