Shillong, Oct 13: Environmentalist Naba Bhattacharjee on Thursday said that untill and unless rivers like Umshyrpi and Umkhrah are not taken care of, nothing can be done about the condition of Umiam Lake.

The two rivers, Umshyrpi (from the north) and Umkhrah (to the south) flow through Shillong. They both joined on their way by innumerable smaller tributaries and drains forming the Roro River which subsequently flows into the Umiam River. Since it is well known that these two rivers are very contaminated, the Umiam Lake receives the contamination as well.

Bhattacharjee said that Umiam had transformed into the nation’s first septic tank, serving the entire city of Shillong and its 220 square kilometre catchment area.

He also recalled that in his report to the Meghalaya High Court, which he presented while serving on the committee to look into the preservation of Umiam Lake, he also said that the newly established communities of Umbir, Umiew, and other locales had used fertilisers for cultivation.

“We are recommending on those lines and that also when construction takes place a lot of debris comes down to the river and several other aspects are there to be looked at,” mentioned Bhattacharjee.