Shillong: The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has issued a directive to the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) following observations of improper earth disposal and potential environmental hazards along the ongoing Shillong–Dawki Road construction project.
In a letter issued to the PMU General Manager under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, MSPCB Chairman R. Nainamalai highlighted several violations detected during an inspection carried out on Friday, October 31.
According to an inspection carried out by MSPCB officials large-scale excavation, filling, and earthwork activities were found underway across multiple sections of the Shillong–Dawki Road construction project, which has been divided into five packages.
Officials noted that excavated earth was being dumped along the roadside without adequate containment or stabilization measures.
At the Pynursla–Dawki Bridge area, the Board observed that recent filling activities undertaken by NHIDCL to address a landslide had been carried out without retaining structures such as sandbags or slope protection systems, resulting in the filling material sliding toward the Umngot River, posing a risk of erosion and sedimentation.
The unstable condition of the filled portion near the bridge was assessed as potentially hazardous, particularly during heavy rainfall.
Further inspection at the New Dawki Bridge construction site revealed extensive hill-cutting activities with large amounts of loose soil and debris slipping downhill into the Umngot River, contributing to siltation.
The Board has cautioned that such unregulated earth disposal and inadequate slope stabilization measures could lead to serious environmental degradation, including river pollution and increased risk of landslides.
During the inspection at Shnongpdeng, a popular tourist destination, the river water was found to be turbid and muddy. Locals informed the inspection team that the Umngot River had remained persistently turbid for some time. Water samples were collected for laboratory analysis to determine turbidity levels and other parameters.
In the Darang area, local resident Trebor Suchen informed officials that the source of turbidity seemed to originate from Wah Umsong near Laitlyngkot — within Package II of the project — where large quantities of excavated soil had reportedly been dumped near a tributary of the Umngot River, the MSPCB chairman said.
Officials stated that appropriate directions have been issued to NHIDCL to adopt immediate corrective measures in compliance with environmental norms and the provisions of the EIA Notification, 2006, as amended in 2025, which governs linear projects such as highways, pipelines, and railways involving earth extraction beyond specified thresholds.
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The Board’s directives mandate the immediate removal of construction and demolition wastes dumped into the Umngot River, and require all contractors to obtain Consent to Establish or Operate from the MSPCB within 15 days. Additionally, the Board instructed strict enforcement of the Meghalaya Stone Crusher Order among contractors, particularly concerning the use and sourcing of boulders.
The MSPCB also directed NHIDCL to submit an action taken report at the earliest.
